Rattlesnake
by drufan
Summary: Got a feelin' something ain't right. Clowns to the left, jokers to the right...Here I am stuck in the middle with you. Finally, the follow up to Marbles with a little whump on the side.
1. Beautiful Dreamer

_A/N: The bulk of this story takes place after Misbegotten with the exception of Chapter 1 which takes place during Allies. So there are spoilers for anything in Season 1 and 2 and up to and including Misbegotten. As always, I reference my other stories. This one is a follow-up to For All the Marbles so definitely read that one as well. It's located on my Profile page. Thank you for taking the time to read._

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and anything associated with it is not mine. If it was…oh the possibilities._

_Warnings: Language and violence_

**Rattlesnake**

Chapter 1

Beautiful Dreamer

The entire scenario was all wrong. His dreams never looked like _this_. Neither did his nightmares or hallucinations for that fact. A conglomeration of swirling, misty colored clouds churned around him, and damn it, that just was not right. The coiling and roiling colors were reminiscent of those only seen at sunset: pinks, blues, purples and oranges. Mallory Square with a beer in one hand and a girl in the other might have come close to replicating the colors. Still, it was all wrong.

His dreams were definitely made of darker stuff and more morose things than cotton candy. Things such as having the pleasure of being the guest of a few thousand year old bitch for three weeks while she fed on her _tender morsels _which unhappily included him. At least he killed her at the SGC in front of a very live audience.

Or things such as waiting to find out if the other half of your team died from inhaling sulfur from a volcano. He might have needed a stay at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm and Sanitarium if anything had happened to Teyla or Ronon.

Or things such as mutating a Wraith into a human and all of the consequences from that fiasco (maybe a more precise term was mutilating-- especially from the Wraith's point of view). They had kept the thing in Atlantis. What were they thinking? It knew everything and it had come back to bite them in the ass. All of these experiences were nightmare inducing in their own sweet and peculiar ways.

Of course, that last item he had perversely enjoyed because of the first item. But those things were currently sequestered in his dreams. Although, when awake, there were times that he still could be truly scary. He had definitely enjoyed naming that inhuman reject because slapping a human name on a Wraith felt like power. There might not be any real power to it, but damn, it always felt so good.

"How about Mike?"

"_It has a fallen archangel ring to it, don't you think?" _he asked himself and the others.

That had been the defining chapter of their year even with the Wraith reaching Earth. Holding that howling mad creature to the bed; shooting him after he kidnapped Teyla; knowing they had a viable weapon against the Wraith; these actions culminated all of their hard work in developing a means to eliminate the threat. It was a weapon he could not wait to use on the entire race because the Wraith were still one step away from permanently making it to Earth. He was not about to let that happen, ever again.

It was a weapon in every sense of the word. The virus was defensive and offensive in nature. It had led to a fantastic mission for his return to active duty even if he was still being weaned off happy pills at the time.

The thrill of the hunt beckoned and he readily took up the challenge. Carson and Kate tutted at his choice. They had worn that pickled prune type of face and, together, they disagreed that securing a Wraith was a sane choice for jumping back into the saddle. He thought otherwise. He thought it was perfect. The capture of Patient 4364 went off like clockwork. Too bad nothing else about it did. Even Teyla distanced herself after the entire debacle, but, hopefully, that was resolving itself as he studied the swirling clouds enveloping him. She had craved space and time and the team had given it to her.

For him, that whole mission had been about vindication. He did not give a rat's ass if the treatment took. It did not matter if they had to kill them all if they reverted. He could shoot Michael again and again and again until his body was nothing more than a lump of hamburger. (Heightmeyer did not need to know about that little quirk in his personality-- amongst others. He knew how far to go in his sessions and that was too far.)

Sheppard had become very good at hiding in plain sight.

Additionally, he did not want anyone to know about the whispers and ghosts that skirted the edges of his mind-- those little demons that tried to break into the waking world that he somehow kept at bay. Things people thought long gone still liked to slip in and try to remind him of who was boss. This swirling, coiled world just brought it back to him and reminded him of what he had to keep a close eye on. There were ghosts that wanted to escape and play and he could not allow that, ever.

Why they still antagonized him he did not know because he had done everything asked of him. He had done everything they said he should do to get better. It was not his fault if the treatments did not take. It was not his fault if things lingered in his brain that should be gone by now. It was not his fault if they did not know anything about it because they had not asked the right questions.

Camouflaged in plain sight.

Unfortunately, he was not by himself in this totally odd place. His innermost thoughts were laid wide open like abdominal skin with his entrails pulled out for others to see. He felt emotionally eviscerated. His fears piled on top of the other's fears added to the emotional nakedness. Through this peek into his gray matter, they would know that not everything was…fine. He hated feeling so exposed.

Not that he was ever alone nowadays anyway; always someone to have lunch with him even if he craved solitude; always someone to walk with him to his appointments or meetings even though he was on active duty; always someone shadowing his every move even though he was the commanding officer. Well meaning colleagues and friends constantly hovered even though the Wraith were at their doorstep. It was time to face another Queen and to bid her welcome to _his _city without looking like the prime rib at the buffet. He had to present a confident and strong front. No weaknesses could be shown at this time of uncertainty and peril. They were depending on him.

Somehow, this strange state had to be linked to the Hive in orbit. Somehow, this not-right dreamscape was the Wraith's fault and he was not the only one to think that this was not Wonderland or Oz. The enemy was in orbit and so close-- what other explanation could there be?

"_Klingons off the starboard bow? How the hell should I know?"_

Ignoring the comment, the familiarity struck him-- a test pattern. Instead of vertical lines of color, this had swirling mists of color like the view screens on a Hive.

If this was the Wraith's fault, then woe unto them because John Sheppard felt extremely provoked. He was a man of many talents and killing Wraith happened to be one of them. He would enjoy every gory moment of letting his anger boil over and on to the enemy. Additionally, he was a patient man and he could wait for the right moment to strike. He could take his time and let the moment pick itself.

He turned his eyes upward and thought out loud, "_Let the game begin."_

----------------

Elizabeth's eyes startled open and her breath snorted through her nose in a strangled snore. A strange heaviness lingered for an instant only to dissipate like steam off of water. She knew it was important to remember what she had just experienced, but she could not hang on to any of the images the dream had held. The lack of control made her nervous and a tiny bit frightened.

Elizabeth sank into her pillow and looked at the shadowed ceiling of her room. The sedatives Carson had given her must be having a reverse effect upon her system. Instead of relaxing, the headaches were increasing and now she was having a hard time sleeping. This was the last thing she needed because she had to be alert for whatever the Wraith threw at her.

The dream _was _important though, but she just could not remember why at the moment. She figured she could lay there until Rodney reversed engineered a ZPM and it would still not come to her. Oh well, another item to put on her list of things to ponder after tomorrow when the Wraith would leave with the Daedalus, Rodney and Ronon. It must have been her anxieties wreaking havoc on her ability to sleep. She would get a nice glass of cold water and try to resettle her mind and not think about the death warrant she was sending to thousands of beings in the Pegasus Galaxy, even if they were Wraith.

A feeling like a mental shiver possessed her. Something was tickling at her brain's worry center and it was sending a clear signal. How she knew this one piece of information and could remember nothing of her dream puzzled her. Even with the Wraith sitting in orbit above Atlantis this one thing was clear above all of her other worries. She knew with the certainty of the sun rising that John Sheppard was not as "fine" as he wanted everyone to believe.

And, there was absolutely nothing she could do about it right now.

----------------


	2. A Little Drop of Poison

_A/N: The story now skips ahead in time to after Misbegotten. Let the whump begin._

Chapter 2

A Little Drop of Poison

Teyla loved the art of negotiation. She loved the mechanics of bartering. She loved how the words meant one thing and the body language another. All the nuances hid the true terms of the agreement until the trust cemented and the two parties understood one another.

She loved her position on her team and in Atlantis as a whole, but Teyla missed her people.

She looked up at the sagging ceiling of the opulent tent before letting her _we have just struck a bargain _smile spread across her face. This dance was like most others she had performed in her pre-Atlantis life and even in her post-Atlantis life. In pre-Atlantis, she would have had her advisors with her. In post-Atlantis, she usually had her team with her. Sometimes her talents were used for both peoples, sometimes only for hers, and even sometimes just for the Earthlings.

Her faith in the Earthlings and her trust in their decision making had been shaken by the use of the retro-virus. However, now was not the time for such thoughts. She let the notions work their way to the back of her mind and focused on her task at hand and the face before her.

She was excited because this time she was bartering for guarve-- a sweet, pulpy fruit used in many ceremonial dishes of the Athosian people. It had a rich orange flesh and spiky outer skin. The juice was fermented into a sweet wine. The seeds were used to make rattles for children and ceremonies. The flesh was used in an assorted number of pastries, puddings and soups. It was an essential part of ritualistic life.

In two weeks time, the celebration of the Cornerstone was to take place. It was the day that the remnants of Teyla's people rose from the ashes of the Great Culling and began their society again. Their lifestyle was forever changed and their existence was not entirely assured, but their strength to overcome such devastation forged her people anew. They decided to celebrate the new life afforded to them instead of mourning the one lost. It was a high holy day and it needed to be celebrated properly.

She really needed this trade to go well. She needed to feel the connection once again with her people. She needed to remind herself that she was one of them as well as a resident of Atlantis. She needed to reestablish her place in the universe, her small universe that consisted of her leadership of the Athosian clan. Her place had slipped and her role muted by absence. She needed to reconnect to that which made her whole.

Such a celebration might reestablish her people's link with the past and propel them courageously towards an uncertain future. It seemed the cycle continued in these modern times with the displacement of her people from their ancestral home on Athos, so the celebration seemed extremely relevant. Maybe one day, they would be able to build a new city free of Wraith interference. Maybe one day her people could have what Col. Sheppard's world had achieved as well as Ronon's. That was where her place on Col. Sheppard's team and in Atlantis would hopefully lead. Her people needed to remind themselves of why they undertook the journey and why they maintained the struggle for survival. A simple fruit would aid her in that quest.

Chieftain Morai Nei of the Chell returned her _we have just struck a bargain _smile. It was a forced smile in the wake of a cranky, soaked and annoyed Dr. Rodney McKay's entrance. Morai leveled his gaze at her and maintained his calm at the blustery entrance of the good doctor. Her glare did nothing to quell Rodney's snide remarks as he tried to wipe the mud off of his boots on the appropriate rug. If he lost her this deal, she was going to make him pay in anyway imaginable and she had a very good imagination.

"Umbrellas! Has no one every heard of umbrellas in this galaxy? Paved roads either, what could the Wraith have against paved roads that no one has even tried to achieve such a significant technological advance?" He shook the rain off of his poncho spraying Sheppard and Teyla who sat closest to the door. Her eyebrow arched and she knew a twitch was about to form in her cheek. Thank the Ancestors Col. Sheppard interceded before she smothered McKay with one of the many pillows in the enclosure.

"McKaaay…sit down and shut up. We're about through so be a good little retriever and pull up a pillow." Sheppard glared at him and McKay cowed as much as McKay could to a non-lethal opponent.

"I'm just saying…Hey wait, did you just call me a dog?"

"Now McKay or no fruit for you," Sheppard barked through clenched teeth.

Morai held his tongue which surprised Teyla. He was a strict negotiator and one who would suffer no form of insult. However, trading partners were harder to find and fewer in number so she figured it was desperation on his part for the grain they had been growing on the mainland. Also, the Atlantians needed information on a few artifacts and ruins that Morai's people had found on one of their unsuccessful trading missions.

The Chell had left to deliver fruit to the Antha. Unfortunately for the Chell, and more so for the Antha, they had been completely culled by the Wraith. The entire settlement was destroyed leaving no one. The Chell searched for any survivors and came across ruins and artifacts of the Ancestors instead. Remembering that Teyla had ties with the Atlantians, they contacted her through mutual acquaintances.

Rodney would have stayed home to deal with all manner of crises if not for the chance of discovery. She found herself wishing he had. He had his customary complaints about the hike, the rain, the blisters from wet socks, and so on, but he also derided their food (not the guarve), his accommodations, and his necessary trek to where the devices were being kept. She let none of her irritability show in the presence of Morai. She was too skilled for that, but it ate at her.

She also did not want Morai to know of the extra security in place at the Ring. Since they had been burned before (Col. Sheppard's term), Stackhouse and his team guarded the Ring as back-up. Teyla sensed no deception and Morai had known and traded with her father for many seasons. They were not friends but well-established business acquaintances so a certain foundation of trust had been constructed. Once again though, old friends had turned out to be enemies and she would not blindly enter any agreement again. Damned were the Genii for making her cynical in the face of her trusted trading alliances. It was just another reason she needed the guarve, to reassure her of her traditions

"Dr. McKay, how did your visit go?" Teyla asked trying to squash the acidic back and forth before it degenerated farther.

"The crystals they brought back are useless, but if your little song and dance goes well, their descriptions of the ruins might hold promise of more useful items."

Teyla was very proud of him. He kept it civil.

"As much promise as any mud-caked, hole-in-the-wall, ass backwards world could show in the understanding of things eons beyond their current level of 'ugh, the wheel turns good' knowledge."

Then again, maybe not.

Teyla, Morai, and Sheppard bristled at the statement but nothing was refuted or even commented on as the tent flaps moved again. Her final teammate's entrance quieted any reactions.

Ronon grunted a greeting as he entered dripping wet behind McKay. They both stepped past Sheppard and behind Teyla's wooden chair to sit squishily on floor pillows. Soft smacking sounds were soon heard as they sampled some of the fruit.

She inhaled loudly and returned her full attention to Morai. "I have made a generous offer and I can see you think so as well. Let us bind our deal with the ceremonial exchange and agree to a time table."

Morai shifted in his heavily carved wooden chair. The pillow he sat on made soft poofing sounds as he exaggerated his contemplations on the deal. He adjusted the pillow and shifted to the other side of the chair to mull over all angles of the deal they were striking.

While she waited for the leader's agreement with the proposal, she looked at Sheppard as he stared out of the tent flaps serenely. She listened as McKay sniffed and mumbled about whether or not the epi-pens would be needed if he ate some more of the fruit. And she listened as Ronon continued to smack noisily, yet happily, making pleased sounds behind her. She liked the normalcy and the ease it brought.

She had not been comfortable with any of them since Michael. Her trust, not only in them but in herself, had been deeply shaken. Her people, except for Halling, knew nothing of her weakness. They knew nothing of how Michael had controlled her so easily. While that did scare her, the mere fact that the Atlantians held within their hands the power only a god should wield was terrifying.

Teyla was unsure of her place in this fight anymore. She fled to the mainland after Taranis for reflection and counsel only to end up with more questions. Then Michael returned and now there was a chance that a colony of previously changed Wraith was out there somewhere-- she did not know what to think. She realized she hated and pitied them at the same time.

In the meantime, she hoped that Rodney could keep his mouth shut for just five more minutes until the exchange, and then he could be as belligerent as he wanted to be out of earshot of Morai.

As Morai dragged out his deliberations, laughter reached her ears from outside of the tent. The sounds of children enjoying the downpour and the puddles it created made her feel a warmth that was sadly lacking in her recently.

She turned in her chair to look at McKay. "You see Dr. McKay even the…" The worried frown on his face stopped her comment. The click of a safety switching off made her turn back around the other way. Her own rising temper and banal thoughts once again pushed to the back of her mind as she watched Col. Sheppard rise off of his floor pillow with his P90 ready for action.

That warmth was always so fleeting.

Fruit thudding softly on the carpeted floor of the tent did not distract her as her other two teammates rose with their team leader. Sheppard focused his sight completely on the tent flaps and took one step back into the tent.

Voices prodded the children to get out of the rain and to the safety of shelter.

Morai's annoyance with McKay changed to confusion as he watched Sheppard continue his slow retreat farther into the dark recesses of the tent with his weapon upraised.

"The children," whispered McKay, "He's having one of _those _moments."

The children protested loudly as if they had heard McKay, "Why?" and "Oh, you're no fun!"

Ronon moved slowly up to Sheppard's right side. "It's just children playing, Sheppard."

"Lessons have just ended," Morai added still very confused. "They're just very excited. Is something wrong with that?"

"Now!" The voice from outside commanded the children. The urgency seemed a little harsh for the situation.

Morai winced.

Sheppard's stare darkened and Morai's advisors also stood up off of their pillows. His eyes darted in their direction but the aim of the weapon never left the flaps of the tent. "That's not it. Not entirely," he answered with little emotion.

Teyla made no move for her weapons and tried to diffuse a tense atmosphere that had taken her quite by surprise. "No, Chieftain Morai, their laughter startled him on such a dreary day. It is a lovely sound. Is that not right Col. Sheppard?" She tilted her head Sheppard's way without ever losing eye contact with Morai. Her gaze only shifted after the advisors started fidgeting nervously.

Sheppard did not answer and kept backing up from the entrance a centimeter at a time. She broke eye contact to become a little more forceful in demanding an answer when Sheppard winced and squinted through both of his eyes.

"Ow," Rodney stated matter-of-factly from the other side of the tent at the same time.

"McKay?" Ronon's voice attained an uncharacteristic nervous edge. He turned his head enough not to lose Sheppard in his peripheral vision and to acquire McKay in his other.

"Headache," answered McKay while rubbing his temple.

Sheppard made no more attempts to explain his actions and Rodney continued to rub the side of his face. That was when Teyla sensed a change of attitude in the room. The advisors attempted to exchange covert glances between each other and then shoved their hands under their ceremonial robes.

"Please, let us return to the bargaining chairs and finish what we have started," Morai requested a little too overzealously for Teyla's comfort level. His eyes shifting from Sheppard, to the entrance, and finally back to Teyla.

"Morai, I believe we have reached an agreement. I need to return my teammates to our home. Please, let me conclude the negotiations and return for any final additions." She worried because McKay was too quiet and Sheppard was too nervous. She hoped that these old trading partners had not sabotaged the fruit that McKay and Ronon had been sampling. Something had changed in the room and she needed to get her team out now.

The laughing and complaining children receded until all was quiet outside. Next, the familiar cold sensation punched her in the stomach as hard as it ever had. The sudden onset meant the Wraith had just jumped into this solar system or exited the Gate en masse.

"The Wraith, the Wraith are here Morai!" She spat. She had wanted to believe that the Genii were an exception to her allies and trading partners. The radios crackling to life with Sgt. Stackhouse's warnings of Gate activation and the whine of darts in the distance reaffirmed her statement. The silence of the Chell outside and inside screamed of the betrayal.

"I know," replied Morai never removing his eyes from her.

Those two little words screamed it louder than the silence. Teyla's heart sank as another old acquaintance disappointed her. All warmth completely left her and Teyla felt alone in her own galaxy.

"And, it is worse than that daughter of Tagan." The chieftain's face turned from one of confusion to one of dark contemplations. His advisors fumbled in their robes apparently searching for their weapons. However, they were not fighters; they were farmers out of their element. "They will spare some of my people if we hand you over."

Ronon stunned them before any could produce a single weapon. Morai reached under the pillow on his throne and too fell to Ronon's _beloved_. Rodney ran over and pushed Morai from his chair. He held up two devices that the chieftain was reaching for under the pillow.

"Wraith stunner and…hello…Wraith transmitter." He punctuated his contempt with a pointed scowl on his face. He flinched and squinted at Teyla and Sheppard waiting for a reaction.

"The others had stunners as well," added Ronon kneeling next to one of the advisors and moving the robes to the side.

"Time to go," Sheppard ordered mechanically while his eyes never left the opening of the tent. He too flinched and squinted in synch with McKay's tics.

Ronon left the stunned bodies and stepped up beside Sheppard at the rear of the tent. He produced one of his ever-present knives and slit a backdoor into the fabric. The sound of heavy footsteps and hissing approached the front of the tent as the team slipped out of the back.

Sheppard stopped suddenly. "We can't leave them even if they are assholes." His voice was low and full of implication.

"Col. Sheppard, they had a plan that did not include our escape. We're in danger and need to go. They chose their own death." She grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards Ronon who held the tear open. Rodney grabbed him on the other side and pulled him toward the side of another tent.

Teyla took one last look at another trading ally turned traitor and then followed her team into the rain.

----------------


	3. Are We Ourselves?

Chapter 3

Are We Ourselves?

Teyla guided her two stumbling teammates down the large path. Within minutes of leaving the village, their conditions had deteriorated considerably. Sheppard and McKay followed the path by sheer stubbornness and willpower, her stubbornness and willpower. They tripped and twisted and fumbled for footing on the level ground as they made their way back to Stackhouse and the Gate. As they tripped along, the rain picked up and gusted into stinging shards of water causing her to squint. It did not deter her from her task.

Ronon scouted far enough ahead to find the clearest route. However, a net set by the Wraith was drawing around them and would soon ensnare them in this once friendly place. She could feel their icy presence stalking her team and closing off their escape route. They had to hurry in spite of her mostly incapacitated team members.

Stackhouse had sent them what limited intelligence he had as they pressed clumsily onward. In turn, they told him of their own troubles. Sadly, the colonel and Rodney tripping blindly along the path and announcing their presence with the clarity of a siren happened to be two of them. With such noise, the Wraith would find them all too soon. Not even the downpour which was partially hiding the troubling sounds would help if the Wraith lucked across their path. They needed a place to take cover and that was Ronon's other task as she babysat her two soaked, staggering and clumsy friends.

They did not banter.

They did not waste words on each other.

They did not stop for fear of never being able to move again.

She directed them with hands on their vests and nudges with her P90 on their flanks. She watched as they clutched their heads and bit down on outbursts of pain. She nudged them forward if they tried to stop. She listened for any other sound or lack there of in the area as she kept them moving along the path.

A new sound or set of sounds revealed just how exposed they were on the oversized trail. The Chell's land was not covered in forests but in scraggly scrub trees and low growing brush. The area was sandy and covered in weeds with nettles and thorns. She examined the road ahead of her. The rain was her only obstruction making it hard to see more than a couple of meters or so. Finally, a bulky, stampeding body ran at full speed towards them and motioned for them to hide.

She cast her gaze around frantically searching for anywhere better than the path. Since all of the shrubbery grew low to the ground and contained sparse vegetation, nothing on the side of the road provided safe harbor. She earnestly looked around and around and around.

Until she spotted it, a marker that the Chell used to signify a safe haven lay to one side of the narrow road amongst the brambles and spindly plants. Her relief drew a physical reaction. She smiled because Ronon's timing was impeccable.

Tagan had been a wonderful teacher and mentor. Her father had shared the important information when it became apparent she would follow him in leadership of her people after the inevitable happened. He had entrusted her with so many intimations and secrets of other races that she was prepared when it unhappily became her time to lead. A solitary black stone placed on the side of any major thoroughfare held the promise of safety during a culling. The secret he had shared would save their lives temporarily on this day. A foot's length away from the obsidian stone, an obscured capstone covered a hidey-hole from the Wraith just waiting for them to occupy it. Now, hopefully, it was not already occupied with Chell survivors. She grabbed the vests of Dr. McKay and Col. Sheppard and stopped them.

"Ronon, move the flat stone under that berry bush. A bunker or some sort of hiding spot should be under it," Teyla ordered.

He moved it swiftly and without reservation. She shoved her two nearly incapacitated teammates into the unknown one after the other and then she followed. Within seconds, Ronon also slipped into the dank, yet adequate hole. He replaced the stone as she turned on the flashlight attached to her P90. The hole was empty and big enough for them to sit and rest. It did not look as if any remaining Chell had made it out of the encampment. The ceiling was too low for any of the men to stand at full height but that was a small trade off for safety. A mounded roof provided slit windows which were hidden by the low growing plants covering the top of it. A dull light seeped in like the water had when Ronon opened the entrance. The walls were fortified by a sand and shell mixture so it would not collapse. She gave a silent thank you to her father and his wise guidance.

Her stricken teammates continued to groan until it gave way to uncharacteristic shrieking. They writhed on their knees as if in a state of religious fervor until their voices grew hoarse. The dirt on the floor turned into mud as the water dripped off of their bodies and churned under their gyrations. They were truly only able to focus on whatever was happening to them and they no longer noticed anything else. Whatever this was, it was happening to both simultaneously.

Still, the sudden outburst surprised her. "Colonel! Dr. McKay!" Teyla called to them trying in vain to get their attention.

She could hear Dr. McKay in her head saying, "_Yes Teyla? We're busy right now writhing in excruciating pain. What can I do for you?" _The two men clawed at their faces and heads and screeched as they collapsed onto the stone floor.

"Teyla! The Wraith will hear them!" Ronon snarled. "We need them to be quiet!" He drew his weapon to stun them if he had to, but both men fell silent as their heads connected with the floor of the hollow.

Teyla and Ronon stooped above their teammates with uncertain and fearful looks upon their faces. Water dripped off of them creating more mud on the floor. The sudden silence was more unnerving and shocking than the last half-hour of constant moans, gasps and staggering. Now, as they lay in a sort of uneasy rest on a dirty stone floor, it was as disquieting as anything in her previous experiences. Teyla would have preferred their screeching like birds of prey to the unnatural silence--

--even if it had brought the Wraith.

-------------------

After both of his experiences on the Hive ships, John Sheppard had become increasingly paranoid. She decided it was not without foundation.

_Overdue again, _thought Weir. That was nothing unusual or even worrisome. What was worrisome was the headache forming while the wormhole shimmered before her. The ripples of light attacked her optic nerves like little needles. She squinted, crinkled her nose, and listened to the repeated entreaties directed at the Gate. She tried to combat the sharp pain with rapid fire blinking. The tactic was not meeting with any measure of success. She would definitely go see Carson about this once the crisis was over.

Also, she could concede to herself no one answering was a tad worrisome as well.

"Col. Sheppard, come in," the young technician repeated for the third time with the same result. Static answered with its monotonous and lonely hiss.

Elizabeth placed her hand over her eyes to quell the sparkling light show celebrating the migraine of migraines in her eye sockets. She needed to find some other stress relieving techniques.

"Sgt. Stackhouse, please respond."

Crackle. Hiss. Crackle. Crackle. Hiss.

Elizabeth's head had its own translation.

Sparkle. Stab. Sparkle. Sparkle. Stab.

The empty airwaves thrummed in time with her dazzling, mind numbing pain.

"Ronon, Dr. McKay, Teyla, please come in."

Crackle. Hiss.

Stab. **_Stab_**.

"_Atlantis, this is Sgt. Stackhouse. We have a prob--," _was the last thing she heard before the pain in her head skewered her in the eye. She let out a shriek and grappled at her face with her nails. Her legs turned into jelly and pooled around her as she landed unconscious in an ungainly heap next to the startled gate technician.

----------------

When John Sheppard was around two years old, he decided to find out what mystical and exciting things were on top of the chest of drawers in his room. Or so his mother had said, because he was not old enough to remember.

The desire to explore and push the limits seemed to go back to almost birth. He accomplished the desired feat by pulling out each drawer into an impromptu staircase. He climbed each step until his head peaked over the top of the skyscraping chest and he saw all the gifts that a two year old should not play with. Figurines, a cutesy Pooh Bear lamp and a couple of banks sat on top with not too much fanfare. It was a little disappointing. Or so his mother had said.

Unfortunately with all the drawers pulled out and his extra 25 to 30 pounds standing on the topmost drawer, the chest toppled sending all the cutesy things crashing to the ground. Fortunately for two year old John Sheppard, his mother chose that time to check up on her way too quiet son. While saying his full given name, she snatched him in mid-flight saving her son to face many other and more dangerous perils. Or so his mother had said at all the neighborhood parties until her death.

This seemed to be just the sort of peril that he constantly faced-- a very confusing and perilous one.

What had actually gotten his attention in the tent was the sensation of little tendrils of electricity maneuvering under his skull. It felt just like…

"_I thought so too."_

John Sheppard had always taken the offensive and controlled the situation to whatever extent he was able. This was one of those times he was at a loss. He really hated it.

They turned around and looked at the world as they could see it. The cotton candy cloud was back and, obviously, he was not as alone as he should be. As they turned, Sheppard noticed that this was definitely the test pattern.

"_We've done this before," _

"_I know."_

"_Is Elizabeth here?"_

"_I am."_

Wherever they were, the turbulent, cloud rolled before them. The striations banded together in a multi-colored swirl until it settled into a scene from Earth. As the cloud took on shape and substance, each of them found themselves in a compartment of some sort. They were separated but could hear each others thoughts even if not directed at one another. Also feelings were broadcast loud and clear such as confusion and fear.

"_We were just running for our lives on a soggy path, right?"_ Rodney asked.

"_Yep, pretty much," _Sheppard answered.

"_I was calling you guys to report," _inserted Elizabeth. "_Late as usual."_

"_Fashionably, I hope."_

"_This is very familiar," _Rodney stated haltingly. "_And, not the good 'golly gee it smells like cookies' familiar."_

"_No, it's more the 'shit hitting the fan' familiar," asserted Sheppard._ No one could argue with that.

A playground full of children formed out of the boiling cloud. Their laughter, squeals, and song flooded the trio's senses immediately.

"Ms. Mary Mack, Mack, Mack! All dressed in black, black, black!"

Sheppard, McKay and Elizabeth were partitioned from each other by invisible walls or a facsimile of them. At least the three could communicate, but they could not touch each other. It was like watching a play in personal box seats.

"With silver buttons, buttons, buttons, all down her back, back, back!"

Elizabeth remembered the hand game from many a recess time in elementary school. Children on the swing sets, children on the merry-go-round, children on the monkey bars…

John's thoughts centered on that this was not the same hallucinations he had before which she found just as disconcerting as Rodney did. Rodney's thoughts centered on that this was too similar to his time in the Wraith chair. She could see the similarity.

Elizabeth remembered many an idyllic day spent screaming and laughing and chasing classmates until they were all red in the face. They were good memories.

"She asked her mother, mother, mother, for fifteen cents, cents, cents…"

All of the children before them sang the song, boys included, but boys never participated in the hand games when she was young. Rodney and John confirmed her conclusion.

"_Not in a million years."_

"_Why would I give anyone else a reason to beat the snot out of me?"_

It was an elaborate dream complete with that falling off a cliff feeling that startles you awake except she could not. John and Rodney really wanted to wake-up and to be home and not to be vulnerable on an alien world…At least she probably had Carson watching over her.

"To watch the elephants, elephants, elephants jump the fence, fence, fence!"

What had happened that they were linked across such a great distance? How was this possible?

"_I'm working on that. Let me just kind of assimilate the weirdness and sense of déjà vu first"._

Something foreboding lurked in this panorama as well. Maybe it was not in the games before her but in the presence next to her. Then a lean young woman walked across the back of the playground. Her face was obscured by her long blond hair. Maybe she was supposed to be a teacher but not one of Elizabeth's. However, she felt a sense of withdrawal and confirmation that that might be a hallucination by one of her neighbors.

John knew the person or thought he did. He just could not place her. Rodney also watched her carefully, but it was not Lia.

"They jumped so high, high, high…"

The scene felt so innocent and at the same time, danger lurked like the woman. The tempo picked up in the chant as the entire playground joined in the song.

"That they never came back, back, back, until the Fourth of July-ly-ly--ly-ly-ly!"

With the chant over, all motioned on the playground ceased. Swings stopped in midair, the merry-go-round froze in mid-rotation and children dangled with one arm in flight on the monkey bars, except for one little boy. With the children frozen in place along with the young woman, the one little boy made them retreat back into their theater boxes. He beamed a toothy crooked grin at them as he approached. His short brown hair and brown eyes never left them even as he split into three, one for each of them.

"What is your favorite thing in the whole wide world?" He asked sweetly.

She felt Rodney's panic and John's anger and her own flood of confusion. Then before an answer could be given, John and Rodney were gone leaving her and the child to face each other alone. He held out his hand and if possible smiled even sweeter.

"I want to play," he beckoned to her before he froze and the playground swirled into a cloud once again.

She was alone, confused and angry. The falling off a cliff feeling intensified with a vengeance and she clamored to wake up from this nightmare. She was more certain than ever the Wraith were behind this somehow and she would be damned if she was going to "play".

Now, if she could only remember any part of this experience when she woke up.

-------------------

_A/N: It's funny when you look at a chapter for weeks and only discover a big plot hole only a couple of days from when you're going to post it. What's worse is when it's in the first line of the chapter. Let's just say that entire sections were rewritten and dialogue was affected in future chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience, but thank the bunnies for their obsessive ways and I caught it!_


	4. Dem Bones, Dem Bones Gonna Walk Aroun'

Chapter 4

Dem Bones, Dem Bones Gonna Walk Aroun'

Over two hours had passed and communication with Stackhouse was intermittent at best. From what he had managed to report, the Wraith had changed their tactics. For the first time since she could remember, they did not leave the Stargate active during the culling. Secondly, the culling itself was smaller than she would have normally expected. Darts did not block out the sun while swarming the sky and the ground troops were only focusing on one small area, her team's small area.

Atlantis would be checking in soon because the colonel had left strict instructions. She had been angry at first. She had thought that he did not trust her. It soon became apparent that he did not trust any unknown situation anymore. It was probably a good thing too, seeing as how they were under attack.

They observed radio silence as the net drew around them because the Wraith might be able to hone in on their transmissions and that would be a very, bad thing. Stackhouse would have to handle all communication if he was able. They had made it as far as they were going to and it was up to him to get help.

Finally, the call came across much to Teyla's relieved ears. Even Ronon relaxed a miniscule amount at the repeated calls of Atlantis. Waiting, watching and listening were not Ronon's forte and from the limited communication between Stackhouse's team and Atlantis, Teyla had to admit that that was all they probably would be doing for the immediate future.

It seemed too likely that the Wraith were directly involved in whatever was happening to her teammates and she was going to hold off speculating on any lasting damage to them. Both men appeared to be resting peacefully although their eyes never ceased moving back and forth under their lids. She did not know if that was good or bad for their health and she had no way to make that determination anyway. For the immediate future, all that matter was keeping them safe.

She stooped to look out the window and shook her head in distaste. Morai did not know the full implications of what he had done. He was only thinking of the welfare of his people which was understandable. However, it was not for all of his people and that was reprehensible. He had squandered an alliance and, on a personal level, had proven that the Athosians were the exception and not the rule. He had led the Wraith right to them and had paid a high price. He had failed his people as their leader for the slim chance of a possible positive outcome. Chieftain Morai Nei of the Chell was a foolish man, in her opinion.

Were the people of her galaxy always going to prove to be so narrow sighted? Here she was trying to barter for a symbol of new beginnings and hope for her people and Morai had led his down the path of destruction. The irony was not lost on her.

The Atlantians cynicism and mistrust rubbed off on her with each new betrayal. It seemed they possessed this kind of outlook for a very good reason. She had learned that even on their world that trust was hard earned and not always given. They lied to one another not just to other planetary civilizations. She had been naïve to think that her own galaxy's residents could be any different. Were they all just out for their own preservation? Had they all given up?

At least with the Wraith, she knew what to expect. And yet, this was not quite it.

She was glad she could not hear the screams of the Chell during the culling. Even with such betrayal, she did not wish this on anyone. No matter what anyone else thought, they were all in this together.

The cold burble in her stomach was intensifying and a familiar whisperer actively sought her out. A strong solitary whisperer beckoned to her and she realized what or who might possibly be after them. She would not let that happen again. In a way, the Atlantians had brought this on themselves like the Chell had. She did not want to believe that but the truth was inescapable-- their betrayal of others may very well be the direct cause of this situation.

Now the team was being actively targeted and hunted by a presence she prayed was just coincidental. Her own turmoil had to be shoved aside and her mind cleared to spar with this opponent. She would not be used again.

Unfortunately, she felt _him _long before footsteps pounded on the hard path outside of their hideout. He wanted her to know who was stalking them. He wanted her to know the joy that was deep in his black-blooded heart. He wanted her to know he was coming for her and for her team.

She would not take the bait no matter how much she wanted to. _Ignore him Teyla, ignore him,_ she told herself.

Teyla took a long, deep breath. She cleared her mind and caught Ronon's eye. He returned her steadfast and pensive look with one of his own. It would not be long before they were found. She would play it out for as long as possible before surrendering. Whatever he wanted, she was not going to give to him. They were safe for the moment because, as she soon discovered, this was not just a refuge from a culling but also a hunter's blind. The Chell were accomplished hunters and the blind they found themselves inhabiting was well camouflaged. She knew though that it would not last. It fell to her to give orders and to lead her team through this situation. And that was just what she was going to do.

Teyla, accomplished negotiator and leader, moved to another window that let her have a clear view of the path. The rain had let up enough to see a few meters clearly. She did not have to hear them to know that the Wraith were very close.

"At the ready Ronon, it is nearly time."

----------------

Carson Beckett was Elizabeth's first sight upon awakening. What she would give to remember the last sight before awakening because it was important. She was very sure of that. Very, very sure.

"Glad you're back with us, Doctor. Gave us quite a scare." He used his patented- _I'm here so don't be too alarmed that you passed out for no good reason- _voice. "Do you hurt anywhere?"

She took a moment to do an inventory of any unusual pains or aches and came up empty. "No." She still was not quite sure what had happened. Wormhole, knife in the eye, Carson-- those three things pretty much summed up her recognition of the events. And that is what she told him.

"You were unconscious and unresponsive for about thirty minutes. Yet, your brainwaves said you were in complete and restful slumber dreamin' away the afternoon."

She raised her eyebrow and felt less unsure of her condition than before.

"We'd no idea what'd happened to ya, so we're monitorin' ya the best we can." He fidgeted for a moment before continuing. "It also seems that Rodney and Col. Sheppard are in a similar state of rest as well. Unfortunately, they're in radio silence due to the Wraith's close proximity so I have no more information than that."

That struck a familiar chord within her-- the Wraith being way too close. Vulnerable. Trapped. Exposed. She shook off the shiver while noticing all the leads to her body. It occurred to her that the only three affected had been tagged by the Wraith queen those many months ago.

"Carson, do you think it has anything to do with the tracking devices?"

"Yes, no, maybe? I just don't have a clue how, if or why yet." He looked over her bed at someone else, nodded to them as if giving permission, and then stepped out of view. The Ancient scanner was pulled over her and Carson returned to her side with a monitor. "But, let's find out, shall we?"

A nurse appeared next to her IV and injected something. She gave a wary glance at Beckett. He returned the glance with a warm and calm smile.

"No need to fret. Just a little something to relax you, not knock you out." He was in comforting doctor mode and she appreciated every soothing word.

She relaxed a little and then quite a bit. However, the nagging feeling that she needed to tell them something important would not leave and she furrowed her brow. No, it did have to do with the Wraith and those damnable tracking devices. They were different from the one Ronon had in his back. She clearly remembered that being mentioned. The harsh, bright green light slowly worked its way down her body as she attempted to grasp at the elusive thoughts and information.

"Dr. Beckett, nothing's showing up," a voice somewhere to her left reported.

Beckett stepped away to another monitor and studied the real time read-outs. "Maybe there's a cloak or shield…something to hide its presence in the body. Start to vary the wavelengths and do it again." He squinted at the monitor and put his hand over his mouth striking a very thoughtful pose.

"Carson, is everyone else all right? Nothing besides narcolepsy?" She asked hoping no one had been taken in a culling.

"With what little information we have, everyone is fine. Of course, the entire explanation is going to have to wait until they return. With Col. Caldwell out of reach on Earth, Major Lorne has assembled a team to discuss options since the situation is unknown. Everything is under control, Dr. Weir." He studied the screen and started thinking out loud. "There must be a signal because when the wormhole shut down, you woke up. We kept it open as long as possible before we broke contact…" He was so preoccupied with the image before him that he did not notice not finishing his sentence.

The scanner made another pass, paused for recalibration, and then started again. The sequence was repeated for a few more turns until it paused in the middle of the scan.

"I think I saw something, Doctor," the technician at the scanner's controls announced with a little uncertainty.

"Aye, back it up along her CNS up to the base of her…" Beckett stopped talking and his mouth hung slightly agape.

She really did not like the look on Carson's face. It was as bad as hearing Rodney say his quiet, "Oh no." He looked at her and then back at the computer screen. Bewilderment and dismay shifted through every facial muscle until major concern ultimately settled to be followed by a cold determination.

With jaw muscles working, he keyed his earpiece and said, "Dr. Zelenka, I need you in the infirmary right away."

----------------

_A/N: Thanks to everyone reviewing and reading. I didn't think that anyone would get the reply so I haven't even tried. Time line in continuities and plot holes are shored up and the story progresses along nicely. Thanks for all the support! Chapter 5 should be following tomorrow morning due to the shortness of the two chapters._


	5. Third Verse Same as the First

Chapter 5

Third Verse Same as the First…

"Come out, come out!"

He obviously wanted everyone to know he was there.

Teyla felt his proximity increase with each taunting call over the headset. Since the speaker had acquired a standard issue communication device from the expedition, there was only one being it could possibly be. He had probably taken it from the marine detail he had killed on that lonely little planet.

She had guessed right when the intrusions began. Actually, there was no guessing involved because she knew who it was the moment the whispers teased and taunted her. He continued the mental onslaught baiting her to reveal the team's position. He knew exactly what to look for in order to do such a thing because he had done it before. Those invading murmurs had controlled her once. Her weakness could doom them all.

"I can feel your presence, Teyla. You can't hide forever and I have your teammates' lives in my hands. I know you must have figured out what the common denominator is."

Ronon's muscles shifted and knotted at his post near a window slit. He glanced quickly over his shoulder to give her a supportive nod before returning his gaze to the window to keep watch outside. Her team's trust wrapped her in confidence. Teyla looked at the two unconscious men on the floor lying near the earthen wall. She knew this part of the game was almost up, but she would play it out for as long as possible. There would be a second part and she had to prepare for that.

"Teyla, with a press of a button I can induce pain." The voice enhanced the shudder that rippled through her when her two friends' bodies reacted.

Sheppard and McKay's muscles immediately went rigid and their faces scrunched as cries came simultaneously from their mouths. Ronon leaped from his position at the window and landed on top of McKay. Teyla fell immediately on top of Sheppard. They clamped their hands over their friends' mouths as the screams reached a crescendo.

With their hands over vibrating lips, their speaker continued to goad them in their ears. "Or, I can wake them up…"

Sheppard and McKay's bodies relaxed and their eyes slowly opened amidst blinking. They looked at each of the other two teammates in confusion as to why they were in such an alarming and intimate position. Teyla wanted to console them and laugh with them over the absurdity of the situation. She wanted to tell them this was all a poorly executed joke. It was not to be.

Before any questions could be asked and answered, the voice came across the radio again. "I can remove sight, hearing, speech…or I can just stop their body functions, altogether."

John and Rodney's eyes widened as their lungs exhaled and their bodies went completely still. Teyla and Ronon looked into lifeless eyes and then into each others panicked ones. She clutched at the thin fabric of John's t-shirt in desperation. It could not end this way and the look Ronon gave Dr. McKay revealed the same reaction.

The speaker toyed with them as his point was made. "Or not."

John and Rodney's lungs expanded to take in air and their hearts resumed beating underneath their breast bones once again. Confused and startled eyes locked onto the person lying on top of them and begged for an explanation.

Teyla and Ronon's only answers were long, relieved exhales.

"I will also dial the Ring and include Dr. Weir in this game. We have Sgt. Stackhouse and his team so they can corroborate my story and the readiness I possess to carry it out. We'll be dialing Atlantis shortly; now whether I continue to give and take is all up to you. Or, do I get to make contact and we have a nice peaceful, civilized conversation? Dr. Weir, Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay can quietly sleep through it since it will be just between you, me and Dr. Beckett. I know their answers already."

Sheppard and McKay went immediately back to sleep leaving Teyla and Ronon to make the decision. The two exchanged resigned glances and settled on their plan of action, or, more truthfully, inaction. If nothing else, she had the trust and respect of her team to carry her to whatever end lay ahead. Teyla clicked her earpiece.

"Michael, what do you want?"

"Only the ability to protect ourselves. Atlantis made us what we are and it is time to accept that responsibility and provide us with assistance. All of this will ensure that assistance with a less likely chance of a double cross."

She could hear his not completely unfounded loathing he held for Atlantis and its residents, but there had to be more. Their lives were paltry in comparison to the overall situation.

"Why should we help you? You hold their lives in your hand but there are more lives at stake than just those three and the rest of us on this planet. That is not enough for a deal." She left John on the floor and moved to one of the slit windows in the hideout to look out. Seeing nothing but thorns, she continued around until she saw boots standing just off the path. Ronon joined her and aimed his weapon.

"Because, I have information to trade and another…what did they call it? Oh yes, another card up my sleeve. I also have that wonderful contingency plan, the bomb."

_Ah yes, that,_ she thought. "You could destroy this planet and it would change _nothing_," she countered.

The boots moved closer to the blind. "I didn't say anything about **_this _**world, now did I?"

Eight, standard issue, military boots soon staggered into sight. "I also have my other hostages-- should we whet our appetites on them while you make up your mind?"

Upon seeing Stackhouse and his team, Ronon's jaw clenched and rolled as the grip on his weapon increased. He knew that there was little choice. Michael could not be trusted and his terms were severe. Talking and waiting were her only options for the immediate future.

"We did not come to kill you, but have no problem with it. We do have to eat after all. We want to trade and that's where this crisis ends." Michael lowered himself down on to his hands and knees and looked brazenly into the blind. "We have much to discuss, Teyla Emmagan."

Ronon held his shot and Teyla contemptuously glared at the yellow eyes. "You have a truce." _For now, _she added to herself as she motioned for Ronon to move the cap stone.

Now it was time for another negotiation with so much more at stake than just fruit.

-------------------

Zelenka clicked from view to view on the flat screen looking at the images the Ancient scanner had uncovered in Dr. Weir's brain. "It's exactly like it," he confirmed.

"Aye, I thought so. They snuck one by us. It masked itself as part of her nervous system and waited for a signal. I'm assuming, since there hasn't been any trouble before and it struck all three somewhat simultaneously, that the signal originated on the planet the team's on." Beckett walked over to Weir's bed. She slept naturally for the moment. He was not looking forward to when they made contact with the planet again. "Do you think you can isolate the signal and block it?"

"If there is a signal to be picked up, then I can figure out how to block it," Radek stated confidently. "Getting the device out is going to be the hard part." Zelenka nervously pushed on his glasses even though they were as far as they could go on the bridge of his nose.

"That's another, aye. I was hopin' that all the information or data from the lab on Ixion would shed some light on the problem."

"Yes, since this is just like the probe from the chair and probably created from it…since the chair could retract it…I see no reason for there not to be schematics or an owner's manual of some sort." Zelenka slouched. "But, the probe from the chair was attached to a mechanism and this isn't. That could cause another problem."

As Radek contacted the handful of scientists with expertise in Wraith computers and equipment, Carson realized that, yes, it very well could. The ganglia of the probe-like device could not be removed by conventional Earth methods, too much gray matter in the way. Also, it was imbedded in areas that he could not get to without definite brain damage. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of problem.

In some ways, Carson already knew all about that. What he needed to obtain was an off switch and an angel on his shoulder to guide him through this mess.

-------------------

_A/N: First off, let me just thank everyone reading and reviewing. With the system down, I know it takes a little extra work to keep up with all the stories. We, the authors, can get our reviews so please don't hesitate to leave feedback. We just can't reply unless we email directly. I just really appreciate the extra time you're having to take. Thanks!_


	6. Climbing Cathedral Mountains

Chapter 6

Climbing Cathedral Mountains

As Teyla stood before Michael, her mind drifted to her time on Earth. Ronon and she had experienced many wonderful things. Fast food, shopping, and amusement parks to name a few of the frivolous adventures they had been on during their two month stay. However, SG-1 and some of the Atlantis personnel had not limited it to that.

The Odyssey had remained in orbit under repair so it had been a great source of exploration. They stood in markets from South America to India. They watched sporting events in every country of the world. They walked crowded streets in Shang Hai, London and New York. They stood on top of mountains and in the wells of valleys and in the calderas of Yellow Stone.

All equally magnificent in their own way.

All very exotic and tantalizing.

All not of her home.

As they progressed from place to place, she saw brief moments of sorrow, appreciation, and grief on Ronon's face. He seemed overwhelmed in New York as he stood on a sidewalk with so many buildings that scraped the sky. She had only seen the images of his world from a MALP and could only empathize with his sense of loss. The city in the pictographs on Athos was from so long ago that she did not miss it, just what it represented. She could see why the expedition members guarded this planet with such ferocity. It was a monument to their achievements and failures. It was still whole.

In the last two weeks of their stay, John was able to join them. He looked out upon the expanded view from the Rockies with a melancholy expression. Ronon stood on one side of him and she on the other as they quietly enjoyed the scenery. Rodney had not joined them on this day citing pollen and mold counts. In some things, she would never understand her teammates because even with such drawbacks, the view was worth the chance of a sneeze.

Their escorts for every adventure (Teal'c and Col. Mitchell) kept a discreet distance allowing for private conversations. Teal'c had been a great source of insight into this cloistered people. He had also proven a worthy sparring opponent both for Ronon and her. She welcomed his insight as an outsider. It allowed her to understand the battle waging within the colonel as he breathed in the thin air.

She drew close to her healing friend and placed a hand on his arm. She waited for the expected flinch and received it. She could see his fight to maintain calm and accept the offered touch as something benign and generous. To her relief, he was winning the fight. She kept her voice low and questioned him the one thing that had been bothering her since their world tour began.

"Do you regret sitting in the chair?"

Another war began on his face and in his posture. The fight was between giving the truthful answer or the easy one. His shoulders dropped as one answer won.

"Sometimes."

"I'm not," she answered simply.

For without him, the Wraith would still be viewed as just a sad part of life. With Atlantis and her people's interventions, the Wraith had become a nuisance to be swatted at, a pest buzzing at the fruit stand. Their mystique wiped away and replaced with a single determination to be rid of them. It was empowering. It was intoxicating.

Ronon nodded on the other side silently letting the action agree with her statement.

"I see why your planet has kept the Stargate quiet. I can see with so many views and _all _of the people…the paranoia would be devastating." The thin air caught her by surprise as she felt a moment of dizziness. The sheer size of the population on Earth…nowhere in her knowledge was there so great a number of humans living on one planet. The dizziness passed once he answered her.

"Ignorance is bliss. Sometimes I wish I was still in such an egocentric, ignorant bliss." He paused for a moment. "We're in a time of upheaval here. Old traditions clashing with new, contradicting philosophies fighting for dominance, governments jockeying for power…the populace couldn't handle it. It would send everything into a spin of anarchy and denial. The backlash…" His shoulders dropped even farther.

"Well, once we can live together then maybe we can live with the rest of the galaxy and her neighbors. They don't realize the sacrifices entire planets have made. How complete strangers have been surrendered to keep my planet so ignorantly blissful." John kept his gaze focused on the vista. "But that's not my call to make."

She had learned more from that one statement than in two years of knowing him. He had ended up on Athos by pure, blind fortune. Good fortune, in her opinion. He was left behind on the Hive ship because of bad luck and an illness. His strength protected him just like Ronon had said it would. John Sheppard was a fighter and extremely stubborn.

His doubts would always be there, but he was in for the entire duration of Earth's stay in the Pegasus Galaxy, because that was his call to make. He would do whatever was necessary to stay by his team's side. He would be coming home to Atlantis and in turn, she would remain by his side for as long as possible.

She would never leave the fight but there had to be more. Her duties on Atlantis now included being part of the command structure of the base. She was a native resident and it was her home just as much as theirs. She could almost consider it somewhat of a right.

They did not have to show such trust in her and yet they did. They could have claimed Atlantis as only for Earth but they shared the great city-- to a certain extent. They had found it, but Atlantis belonged to the entire galaxy even if for right now the explorers from Earth were borrowing it.

She had fought with her own mistrust issues of their intentions, but as she stood before Michael, she realized that this group of people had not tried to wipe this race out of existence just alter it so the hunger was not so great.

"Let them diversify in their diets," was what Dr. McKay had said. Ronon thought it foolish and she thought it overstepped their bounds. Right now, she would have gladly wished for some of that virus to spread its goodwill to her opponent.

Michael smiled at her as his brethren laid the Colonel and Dr. McKay on the sloppy ground. The rain had lessoned but muck seeped into their clothes and caked their hair. At that moment there was no alternative place and she would not let the Wraith touch them for any longer than necessary.

As she proudly stood in front of Michael, Ronon was searched. He glared and flared his nostrils the entire time keeping his eyes on the helpless pair flopped in the mud. He postured and oozed with battle readiness wanting a fight. She realized how much he truly hated Michael. Strangely, she was not sure if she could say the same thing.

"I will come directly to the point," Michael began as he let his golden eyes dart to Ronon in amusement. "We have a cruiser, but it is no match for a Hive ship. We need help to stay one step ahead of our enemies. The queens do not like that we are contaminated by humanity. We reek of your stench."

"They have something called deodorant; try it."

Teyla slowly turned her head to look at Ronon in irritation. His eyes never left Michael and they delivered a challenge to the Wraith. _Fight me. _Ronon's entire body language exuded machismo. She had picked up the term from Lt. Cadman during poker night. It was quite appropriate.

Michael ignored the challenge. "Yes, I remember. Clever animal you are, Ronon."

Ronon growled in return.

"_Ronon_," Teyla warned him before turning back to face her opponent. "Michael, what is it you want from us? You have a ship and can easily avoid a Hive."

"We want to be able to hide in plain sight. We want a cloaking device."

"And what do you propose for a trade? If you think it is us, then you are sorely mistaken."

"Don't forget the bomb."

"I have not. But that is a threat and they will not accept such a dangerous caveat." Teyla knew this with everything that her father had ever taught her. Today, many of his teachings were being put to good use. Maybe it did not take a fruit to remind her of the essence of her people.

"But where shall I send it? To an enemy, friend, stranger? It is a tool of fear and mistrust. They will not let that happen and what I ask is so small." He looked down his nose at her. "Dr. Beckett will talk with me."

"He is not in charge. He makes no decisions-- it is a military matter. We are prepared for such emergency situations."

"But I will only speak with him. He owes **_us_**." Michael's eye blazed for a second and he swept his hand back to indicate the other Wraith in the group.

"He owes you **_nothing _**and you will **_not _**get near him." Teyla centered herself on that simple truth. Michael would not hurt Carson again. Whatever she thought of the initial use of the retro-virus, Michael had tortured her friend and it would not happen again.

"He owes me his very life, but let's go ahead and ask him ourselves, shall we?" Michael looked past her and jerked his head giving a silent command.

Teyla looked at the group of Atlantis' soldiers standing guard over the two lying on the ground. The Wraith stood farther back performing their own guard duty of all the personnel. No, no one else would be hurt no matter what it took. All options would be weighed and all perceived outcomes would be assessed. She stood on the planet as the leader of two peoples and hoped she was up to the task.

Michael gave a knowing smile. "Atlantis, this is Michael. I need to speak with Dr. Beckett or this can be Dr. Weir's permanent state of rest." He held up a Wraith device similar to their transmitters and pressed it.

John and Rodney started to convulse. Their heads collided with the hard-packed dirt under the mud on the path and their limbs jerked in strong spasms. Stackhouse and Ronon moved quickly to cushion the impacts and lessen the damage to the back of their skulls. They both looked momentarily lost and unsure of what else they could do. The rest of Stackhouse's team glared with unveiled anger at Michael and the rest of the Wraith.

Teyla swallowed and waited for the demonstration to finish knowing full well that hurt did not always have to be physical. The infirmary on Atlantis most likely illustrated her point right now because Carson was about to become beside himself with guilt.

-------------------

"Damn it!"

Carson scrambled to keep up with the squealing machines. Elizabeth was fully involved in a total body seizure. Unfortunately, he was reasonably sure that the medication would be totally useless. Her body quaked as he and two nurses held her on her side.

Atlantis' alarm had blared for an unauthorized wormhole, so he was not surprised when she had lost consciousness, but then this started to happen.

"Are you recording this through the scanner?" He looked intently at the technician.

"Yes Doctor!"

Carson was so focused on the crisis that the page in his ear went ignored.

"Just as I feared, the meds had no effect." He studied the monitors as a voice once again called his name. He continued to ignore it.

"I think she's just going to have to ride it out," one of the nurses opined.

"Aye, I think your right," he relented. Then the voice in his ear called him again and he could not take it anymore. "What!"

"_Dr. Beckett?" _the gate technician started apologetically, "_Dr. Beckett it's…it's…"_

As the machines keened and wailed, he finally lost his temper. He did not have time for this while Elizabeth's vitals continued to fluctuate and skew. "Spit it out!"

"_Dr. Beckett, Michael wants to speak to you."_

Zelenka who had been standing out of the way since the emergency began cradled his data pad and stepped up to Beckett. Carson felt his blood pressure drop and his respirations go shallow. The wailing fell into the background and all he could do was blink.

"_Dr. Beckett?"_

"Put him through," he replied weakly while pulling himself together.

This was it. This was his time to confront the darkness coveting his soul. It was time to face the consequences of his past misdeeds no matter how well intentioned.

He replied with all the strength he could muster, "Beckett here."

And then, he waited for the hated answering voice.

-------------------

_A/N: Well hellooo Bots! Yay! _


	7. God Save the Queen or Potential H Bomb

Chapter 7

God Save the Queen (or Potential H Bomb)

-------------------

_**Above all, I must not play at God. -- Modern Hippocratic Oath**_

-------------------

"_Ah Dr. Beckett. So good of you to speak with me, a lowly Wraith." _The sarcasm thickened as the words broadcasted in his ear. "_I guess I can let Dr. Weir rest now. I'm sure Teyla, Ronon and the others with me would like for Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay to stop their thrashing as well."_

Elizabeth went slack in the bed and the machines resumed their hypnotic, atonal beeps. Carson closed his eyes and rotated his shoulders. He checked her over quickly and handed her off to another doctor before he began walking out of the infirmary. He turned to a nurse and gave the silent order of _call me if anything happens_.

"It was you? You've been doin' this?" Carson asked in the hallway.

He had only wanted to help the denizens of the Pegasus Galaxy and to end the cycle of suffering for both parties. After all, the Wraith were human at one time. The hunger they experienced was as unnatural as it was strong. It was an unfortunate consequence of the blending of two disparate species with disastrous repercussions to one of the originators.

He stopped in front of the transporter as he collected himself waiting for the answer. The bastard sounded amused when he responded.

"_Oh yes. How does it feel to be fooled, doctor? Hmm? How does it feel to be left wondering? To have your questions go unanswered? To lose control?"_

"Michael, don't play martyr with me," Beckett snapped back as he entered the small space. When he stepped out, he continued, "We're past that you and I. A shared animosity will help no one right now."

"_But animosity is all we have left."_

"Michael, you wouldn't hesitate in killing us. We have the right to protect ourselves." Carson entered the control room and immediately made his way to Major Lorne. The entire room was eavesdropping on the conversation and Lorne gave a curt nod in his direction.

Right or wrong about method, they had the right to fight back. So help him, he had seen the results of their touch. He had watched people he knew die slowly after surviving the initial feeding. He had watched complete strangers slip into comas and pass away quietly. He had watched a very good friend recover from three weeks of torture at their unmerciful touch. He had watched as that friend was unable to recognize a friendly face from a hallucination. He had heard the terror of said friend and others rescued from a Hive ship as they regained their health, an entire ward of frightened and moaning people. He had been on the receiving end of a mind probe by this very Wraith he was talking to. His compassion for this race was waning.

Lines had been crossed, and decisions made. Now they all had to deal with the penalties.

"_Yes doctor, you are, of course, correct." _Michael laughed which unnerved Carson more than he cared to admit. "_So let's talk."_

"I have no authority…"

"_You are the only one I will speak with!"_

Michael had told him he had an open mind and a strong sense of empathy. Michael thought that using Carson as a go between would ease the so-called negotiation. Carson had been right before Michael manipulated him into revealing hidden dangers at the encampment-- the empathy was not as strong as it used to be.

Carson looked at Lorne who gave a consenting nod of encouragement. "I'll do my best, but I'll have to confer with others."

"_Of course Dr. Beckett. I will allow you and Teyla to confer, she is here beside me."_

"Teyla?"

"_Yes, Dr. Beckett. I am here."_

"Are you…?"

"_She is fine; everyone is fine! I have not extended any other sort of control over her. She is speaking of her own freewill."_

"How do we…?"

"_Trust, doctor. It's so hard to give, isn't it?"_

He had Carson there. "What do you want, Michael?"

"_What every being wants, safety. We want a cloaking device and we are willing to trade for it."_

Lorne immediately made a cutting motion across his neck. "Doc, that's something we can't give them."

And, Carson knew that.

"_Dr. Beckett, I am sure there is some little voice next to you advising your next answer. Let me present the terms of the trade. Once we have the cloak, I will release all those I have in my custody, unharmed. Second, I will give you some new information that I'm sure you'll find useful. Third…Teyla, why don't you tell him about my third term of the agreement?"_

Carson could imagine the smoldering look of contempt from Teyla.

"_Dr. Beckett, he has the bomb from the planet and will use it on some unsuspecting world if we do not give him what he wants."_

"_See, trust Dr. Beckett. Trust that I will deliver on all of my terms of the agreement."_

Damn, that bomb was a dangerous game piece. A game piece he had surrendered. Carson Beckett would soon be known as Pegasus' destroyer of worlds.

"Doc, ask him about the information," Lorne whispered in his ear.

"Michael, what sort of information do ye have that would make us want to trade something so valuable?" Lorne gave another curt nod of encouragement to Beckett.

"_Something, which might help us and you at the very same time. We have a common enemy besides ourselves. This would ensure added time to our survival. It has to do with the Queens."_

Lorne and Beckett swallowed convulsively. Beckett could really use Teyla standing next to him and not on the other side of the wormhole. Shoot, what he really needed was Elizabeth to be standing here instead of him.

"The queens?"

"_Oh yes doctor, the queens."_

-------------------

"_What the hell was that?" _McKay yelled picking himself up off the misty underworld-styled floor.

"_I don't know McKay, but I know I had fun. I don't know about you but I like it when my brain gets fried." _Sheppard followed his friend's example and stood up as well. "_Elizabeth, you OK?"_

"_Yes, I was back in the infirmary with Carson and Radek…a Wraith device in our heads and a signal from the planet initialized it…then lots of pain." _

"_Sounds about right, the pain part that is. At least, when you woke up, Ronon wasn't lying on top of you. And don't you say another word!" _said McKay as he pointed at Sheppard. "_You got to rub against Teyla and don't think I'm not going to tell her about all of your dirty thoughts when this is over!"_

John gave Rodney a scathing double take.

"_Threesome," _Rodney rebuked giving a quick, pointed look to Elizabeth.

"**_Rodney!" _**Elizabeth and John yelled.

Rodney continued to try and dust himself off as he looked back to the front of the theater box. "_Oh goody, it's still here."_

The innocuous playground repeated the same kids doing the same things and singing the same song. It was bordering on the ludicrous.

"_Does anyone have a sidearm?" _Rodney asked. "_I don't think I can handle another round. You've missed a few choruses, Elizabeth."_

Then the little boy walked up to them, again. "What is your favorite thing in the whole wide world?"

Rodney hung his head in defeat. "_It only has one question. Please, does anyone have a sidearm, anyone?"_

"_Sorry McKay or I'd offer to shoot you myself."_

Elizabeth felt an overwhelming terror race through her; the terror of being found out, the terror of this can't happen again. She figured she might add or alleviate it with her next bit of information.

"_Rodney, John's not going to have to worry about you being a tattletale. I couldn't remember a thing. Just little impressions that something was important; that something was wrong." _

"_Oh that's just great. We can't remember anything about this?"_

She shook her head.

"_I guess we weren't awake long enough to realize it," _speculated Rodney as he gestured between Sheppard and him.

John looked and felt relieved. The terror calmed. "_I wonder why the Vegas motto?"_

"_I'll get there. Just give me a minute to think and get the cobwebs out," _Rodney groused still fiddling with clothing that really was not really there.

John grimaced at both of his cellmates with a forced nonchalance and then at the playground and the teacher, one more time. He constantly kept her in his periphery sight noticed Elizabeth. The teacher made a figure eight in the middle of the scene right in front of him. She never deviated from her route through the merry-go-round and monkey bars.

"_A waiting room," _Elizabeth said out of the blue. "_We're in a waiting room."_

Still looking at the teacher, John added his two cents with a chuckle, "_With the damn repeating video or out-dated magazine, VR style. Something to keep you occupied while you wait."_

"_VE," _corrected Rodney.

"_Whatever, McKay," _John retorted.

Rodney snapped his fingers. "_You know, you might have something there." _He started a circle in his own little area on the other side of John. "_We're kind of like in between the spokes of a wheel or theater in the round. You say there was a signal initializing the whatever in our…in our heads." _Rodney looked a little sick and felt a lot anxious. "_Maybe it's a new addition to the tracking devices. It keeps a runner or other prisoner docile and incapacitated to await pick-up if they lost the tracking device."_

The little boy put his hands on his hips and stuck out his bottom lip. "I want to play," he demanded. He was summarily ignored. Annoyance was the prevalent feeling running through the three of them.

The teacher moved to the edge of the middle of the playground and called to the little boy. "Come here Michael!"

"_Of course, we figured out who's responsible awhile back," _scoffed Rodney while waving his arm in disgust at the hub of waiting room. Now it was Elizabeth's turn to feel anxious. "_I'm just guessing that the floor show lasts long enough for the local retrieval squad to…well, retrieve."_

"_Makes sense," _responded John outwardly casual. Inwardly, he was terrified.

Elizabeth never realized how much she relied on John's outward guise and disregarded what might be truly going on inside the carefully crafted persona. She looked at Rodney to see if he noticed it. The look of horror and the feeling of anxiety rolling off of him corroborated her realizations. Their rock that they had built their trust on was crumbling.

John looked between the two and fought for inward control and was failing catastrophically. The playground started again.

"_An off button, I want an off button! I'm almost rooting for a Wraith patrol to find us and shut this damn thing off," _Rodney ranted.

"_No McKay, you don't want that." _

Hive ships, feedings, pulled out of his single wing X-302 and marched…

"_John…" _Elizabeth said trying to calm the panic.

"_Get out of my head, get out of my head, get out of my head!"_ John frenetically commanded.

"_Want to, want to, want to!" _Rodney screamed back.

This was Michael's revenge. He had found something from the first queen who tried to devour Earth. He must have found the beacon that Teyla had warned them about.

"_The beacon! Damn it. She left notes or devices or something." _Rodney dropped down onto the floor, dejected. The cotton candy mist poofed into little eddies around him.

The little Michael wannabe stepped forward and asked his question, one more time.

"_That bitch would have too,"_ John hissed and envenomed every word with hatred. He looked at his shoes and dropped eye contact with the teacher.

The hatred rolled around the waiting room like a steam locomotive. Elizabeth felt like the damsel tied to the tracks just moments before the wheels would tear her body apart. All she could do was try to console and support the both of them to the best of her ability.

"Come here, Michael…" the teacher called, one more time. The voice unexpectedly lowered and vibrated preternaturally. "…my **_tender morsel_**."

John's head shot up and he looked into the dangerously amused, tangerine eyes of the teacher. Involuntarily, Elizabeth moved to the front edge of her boundary. In addition, Rodney stood and slowly drifted forward to his. To the contrary, Sheppard retreated to further back in his theater box.

The increasingly sinister teacher walked forward and effortlessly broached the boundary between Sheppard's area and the playground. She gently pulled back the strands of amber hair that had obscured her face and tilted her head to the side.

"Mmm, tender morsel, you're looking yummy."

Hysteria exploded throughout the waiting room completely enveloping Elizabeth and Rodney.

-------------------

A/N: Now the gang's all here.


	8. When Logic and Proportion Have Fallen

Chapter 8

When Logic and Proportion Have Fallen Sloppy Dead

Her face had been hidden by her long, blond hair the entire time. She had kept her gaze aimed at her shoes and never up at any of them. The thing had been hiding in plain sight which was very appropriate for this place.

"_No, no, no, no," _Rodney kept repeating trying to reign in any sliver of calmness achievable. "_No, no, no, no…"_

"Tender morsel? No greeting?" She smiled impishly by pursing her lips together and giving a tilted smirk. Her momentum carried her steps into John's theater box and then she stopped. Her billowy cotton dress changed to a flowing, brown, floor length dress reminiscent of Wraith webbing.

After the initial shock, the suffocating hysteria changed into a white-hot fury. "_Rodney, Elizabeth, I believe you know Lucy." _Yet, Sheppard still sounded like he was introducing a superior officer at a garden party.

Lucy only had eyes for him.

"_Sheppard, don't let her come anywhere near you." _Rodney walked the length of his enclosure back to where John stood in his. "_She's only in **your **head…I mean the thing in **your **head. I mean she's a program, she's not in ours!"_

"_Thanks, but there aren't too many places to go, McKay." _The space was finite. There was no escape route.

"_Rodney, why does that matter?" _Elizabeth had to ask.

She saw the answer as Rodney formed it in his mind and she was in awe. Rodney's thought processes were unlike anything going on in her head. From the moment she relayed what Carson had told her about their condition, Rodney had been adding his own observations. His brain worked through each bit of information, categorized it as useful or extraneous, and organized it into shapes and color patterns for memorization. Things just made sense to Rodney and they made sense with blazing speed and accuracy.

John, on the other hand, had no logical or coherent thoughts. He was on an emotional roller coaster complete with roaring in his ears and he could not think of a single way out of this. The emotions coiled tightly within every muscle of his virtual body. Thoughts were not forming into words. Words were constricting in his throat. To top it all off, his state at the moment was reactionary.

She was pretty sure her thoughts were in a similar jumble and might fall victim to the tide of emotion crashing through the waiting room.

He was drowning in a virtual sea of fear and trying to take them along for the ride. Rodney rose above it and continued to infer.

"_His parasitic addition! It must have been altered by her, seeing as she had a lot of time to do it. I'm sure there were times a marching band with cheerleaders could have been in the same room and he wouldn't have noticed it. She could have done it at anytime! She can manipulate him. The real him!"_

"I knew I should have kept you under better care, trickster. Should have kept you closer," Lucy whispered in a sultry two-toned voice. She transformed from human and back into Wraith as she watched Sheppard from the edge of his spoke. "But, alas, I could not have everything I wanted."

"_Or much of anything,"_ John shot back when words finally released from his throat.

"Apparently, my life was taken-- by you. My purpose is to make sure I get a chance at another."

Lucy spread her arms out from her waist and held them bent just enough to come only to her hips. Her palms faced out as inky, black tendrils of smoke-like wisps curled away from her body. The tendrils moaned and shrieked like the illusions the Wraith used to round up their human herd. As she completed her transformation back into her Wraith form, the tendrils took shape into familiar people known only by John.

"It has taken me awhile to assimilate your knowledge and I'm not quite finished yet, but why wait to say hello?"

The black ghosts encircled him and stroked his arms, the back of his neck and his face. John stood petrified to his spot. The names flew out and around him: Osy, Linus, Rein, and Bose. Then names from television shows crept out completely confusing Elizabeth: Daisy, Betty, Paw Ingalls and so forth.

"_What is this, a walk down syndication lane?" _Rodney worriedly taunted with his own confusion.

John was past taking the bait.

Elizabeth had not noticed walking down her own area to stand even with John in his until she looked directly at his profile. This was her fault. This was all her fault. She had not rescued him at Ixion. She had not destroyed the Hive ship either. She had almost lost everything to another Queen on a similar mission in between galaxies. The bureaucrats in the IOA had not wanted to make any decisions so she did. Those decisions led her people to being duped by their test subjects on that isolated planet and here it was biting them in the ass. They faced two enemies because of her grand mistakes. Two for the very high price of one.

"_John!" _she called to him. "_John, you've beaten her before. You're alive; she's not!"_

He was trying to hide his utter chaotic fear like he had been doing for the past several months. And there was nowhere for it to go. The panic, the fear, the anger, the rage-- he was trying to cram them all into a proverbial suitcase that was too small. The hinges were surely about to break.

"_Snakes in a can?" _Rodney supplied.

" _Not helping!" _John and Elizabeth answered in unison.

The little wraiths whispered to him.

Rodney shouted at him.

Elizabeth pleaded with him.

The tendrils turned into the very young and danced around him as if he were the Maypole.

The hinges popped and he struck out.

He began frantically swatting at the images trying to chase them away. His hands moved the tendrils into swirling currents which curled around his arms. The action did not meet with any success as they reformed around him. He decided to change tactics.

He strode through them as they attempted to cling to his clothes and he stopped right in front of Lucy. The cold-seated hatred reappeared as his upper lip went into a sneer and his head swayed jerkily back and forth like an epileptic cobra.

"_Colonel, what part of 'stay away' didn't you understand?" _Rodney demanded while his panic increased.

He was ignored.

"_John Sheppard, stand down!" _Elizabeth ordered.

"_You can ask that of me after…after what she did? What she's still to doing?" _His voice broke as the bottom dropped out of his composure. He could hide no longer. "_She squeezed the life from every cell in my body like the juice from an overripe orange. She bled me dry!"_

"_No John, you survived. I **order **you to stand **down**." _Elizabeth growled out the last word as if she was channeling R. Lee Ermey. She stood firm and waited for his answer, his compliance. Control, he needed to regain control. She demanded that he regain control.

He did not get the chance.

"I've been sending little reminders every once in a while so you wouldn't forget me. The trickster was right; I made a few modifications during our time together. Anytime you have been near Wraith technology, it became harder and harder to ignore, did it not?" Lucy purred.

"_They don't own me. They haven't been able to make me cow down yet." _The desperation made his voice crack. It was puberty all over again.

"No, they weren't meant to. Just keep you unstable. Your trip on that other Hive must have taken everything to keep them quiet. Days of uncertainty and flickers just out of sight driving you mad." Her eyes finally left John and nodded at Rodney. "You should've listened to the trickster." The words flowed out of her mouth like velvet while she tried to grab his chest.

Elizabeth had no idea her voice could get as shrill as she screeched, "_LOOK OUT!"_

Her screech mingled with Rodney's male version and the warning seemed successful at first.

John dodged the blow by jumping back quickly. He was not so lucky the second time because, after all, he was in a finite space. The other wraiths startled him from behind by clawing at his arms and back. He spun around to defend himself and swatted at them as he had done before. The effect was the same, tendrils of smokiness separated only to reform back into escaped ghosts.

Lucy took the advantage and struck while he faced the images of her victims. She captured him in more of the inky tendrils. His mouth opened but no sound came out as the tendrils disappeared into the skin on his arms, cheeks and legs. He appeared to be choking and gasping noiselessly as they firmly held him in place.

Rodney's mantra of "no's" returned and Elizabeth wished she had something to grab a hold of to keep her up.

Lucy sank into John starting at his back and pushed out through the front fitting into John's image like a Latex mask. She slowly separated herself and gathered the tendrils to her while adjusting her new copy of a human suit into place.

John stiffly dropped to his knees and Elizabeth followed his lead by dropping to hers. With his face devoid of emotion and mouth hanging open, he stared into nothingness. Across from her, she could see Rodney on all fours calling desperately to his friend.

There was a static thrum in Elizabeth's ears blocking all other sensory stimuli. She swayed along with John and said nothing of any consequence. Pleaded whispers escaped her mouth but were unintelligible.

Victorious, Lucy turned to face John and lowered herself to eye level. She watched him sway for a moment without saying a word or touching him. The malicious victory spread all over her borrowed face as she listened to his silence and willed him to stay up. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the melody coming from the playground.

The queens loved the subjugation of their prey and she was the exemplification.

Lucy, now wearing John Sheppard's likeness, stood and turned shocking tangerine eyes towards Elizabeth. "Time to go," she breathlessly whispered and then mischievously winked. All of her little minions dissipated and then she too vanished without as much as a ripple.

John swayed on his knees for a second more and then collapsed onto his side. The impact was soundless as the cotton candy cloud padded his fall. He did not get back up.

"What do you want most in the whole wide world?" Little Mikey asked after a while.

Neither Rodney nor she could answer because it was lying lifelessly on the virtual floor between them.

-------------------

"…_Lingering stench…" _she had said. His former Queen had considered him laced with an infection. How ironic that the Lanteans had thought they were curing a disease and his kind now thought he had one.

This willingness to trade with the Lanteans might prove the Queen's suspicions though. This was a tactic he would never have considered before Atlantis. Of course, his life and the lives of his brethren depended on it and they really liked living.

After having to forcibly indulge his human derivative, he had a unique perspective of the Wraith's weaknesses which were few. It always came back to the hunger. As a human, he was not afflicted with such a deep craving. There was pleasantness about that. His kind was not the most adaptable and for so long it had not mattered since they were the top predator. The Lanteans challenged them for the first time in eons and his race was not prepared. They were scrambling to keep up, but the Lanteans did not need to know that.

Michael considered his objective as simple but not easy: gain independence. He could not foresee much of a chance when he escaped the first time. All he had ever known was Hive life. There was much more out there and, now, he had help. His brothers would never know the _lingering stench _bias. They would never have to serve another queen. He had no need for the female of the species anymore.

There were Hives that rallied around a head male. He could possibly achieve the same status. He wanted to achieve the same status. He _would _achieve the same status.

This was one step in an uncertain bid for self realization, a rogue amongst the stars. He had a small part of the strategy planned out. The village lay to the north and the Ring to the south. The hostages (or snack if the mood struck) had been taken to an open field between the two where a large insect mound provided some cover. It was easily defensible and a good place to wait. A time limit had been set for the duration of the Stargate's remaining open wormhole and then when he reestablished the wormhole, they had better answer.

During his conversation with Dr. Beckett and whoever was speaking in the doctor's ear, he moved away from the humans dragging Teyla with him. When he finished relaying his demands, he sent her back and oversaw the placement of counter measures near the Gate. Since he left the Ring open for its maximum amount of time, it allowed them to ponder his demands to their fullest and to decide their fate. It was all a matter of control and to keep Dr. Weir out of the proceedings for as long as possible. Also, they might have questions, who knew? It was the least he could do.

Getting back to the matters at hand, his brethren finished the restocking of the ship at the village. True to his word, the people in hiding were left alone, but they had better stay in hiding until his kind left. Those in the village…well, he was back to thinking about snacking.

He had a sense of pride about keeping the deal originally struck and he was not sure why. Maybe there was an infection. Maybe his human side was still trying to assert itself. Stench, indeed.

Another foreign concept slithered through him, revenge. Until this group of humans had shown up, who had challenged them? Some races had achieved small victories against individual Wraith. Some unsupervised societies might have taken down a ship or two, but no one had such unfettered access to Lantean technology and knew how to work it. From what he had learned during his captivity, allowing the natural order of this galaxy to proceed did not occur to them. They fought, explored and denied the losing battle until the bitter end.

His kind had defeated the original Lanteans. Their diluted offspring should have presented no problem. Except, apparently, the diluted offspring did not know that. They exemplified the importance of the occasional cull to keep the herd manageable.

He had a second step which would come later. For that, he would use the Lanteans for its completion. He would start them on the path and let that feisty nature run its course. The information about the queens would elicit their own brand of hunger.

Everything was right where he wanted it.

Everything was…

Michael stopped. A consciousness…no a scent was beckoning to him. A scent with instructions wafted on the breezes. It was an electric, female scent.

How could a Hive…? No, there was no other Hive, but the brethren buzzed and hissed in his head over the distraction. Teyla contained a mild form of this scent, but not enough to influence. It could not be her. So who?

Was he not just rebelling against such hierarchical formalities? Had he not just declared his independence from the Hive mentality? Where was this coming from?

_Show yourself! _he yelled in his head.

As he approached the clearing, only his agitated brethren and the hostages were present. The presence was here though as he stomped on the still moist grass. He walked up just in time to hear Teyla warn Ronon, "That's not Col Sheppard."

Sheppard stood in front of the insect mound and stretched his arms and neck. He gave a small arrogant laugh at Teyla's observation-- Teyla's very correct observation. His movements were all wrong. This was all wrong.

Noticing Michael for the first time, Col. Sheppard demanded eye contact with him and received it. Imperial orders and genetic dispositions made him comply. This was impossible, right? Sheppard was only a human, right?

"Perfection," Col. Sheppard hissed finishing it with a coquettish smile.

Michael realized that that was what he had been thinking only moments ago-- everything was perfect. He found it not to be so anymore.

Everything was very wrong.

-------------------

_A/N: Well, now we have a little Shep whump. And yes I know another taken over by an alien scenario. But hey, you just can't have that happen too many times. Bunnies are very apologetic for the cliché and fought the author tooth and other big tooth over it. She pulled their fluffy little tails and told them to shut up._


	9. I've Given Up, Stop

Chapter 9

I've Given Up, Stop

Running a briefing without the command staff was not unusual. Lorne running a multi-discipline briefing as the entire command staff was unusual. Caldwell would normally step in-- no such luck today. Finally, the Daedalus was on its first return trip to Earth after its battle with the last Hive and was past the point of no return. They were on their own and Carson thought, the cowboy in Lorne liked it. Lorne looked at Beckett and Beckett thought for a moment that he was going to have to run the meeting or say, "Howdy, y'all."

That was until Lorne opened his mouth.

"As you all know, we have a situation." Lorne did not even look like he wanted to push a Stetson back on his head or twirl his pistolas. However, Beckett could still imagine it.

While listening to Lorne, Beckett thought command looked good on the young man and it needed to stay firmly with him never to sidle over his way. Radek was going to start out and then Beckett would give the medical side. They would end with an overview of the demands and how to proceed. There would not be any stalling. Michael would probably start on appetizers if they did.

Speaking of Michael…

Carson had nearly melted into a puddle of nervous goo when his conversation with Michael was over. Lorne had patted him on the back and said, "Good job, Doc." The entire Gate area was still buzzing over the conversation when he left to return to his patient in the infirmary. Before his return, Zelenka had hurried out to scour the database with the new information from the scanner as a starting place.

"Dr. Zelenka." Lorne gave an appraising look in Radek's direction and waited for the squirrelly little man to start.

"First, the signal is not using sub-space. So when the Stargate shuts down and the signal is lost, Dr. Weir regains consciousness because the device automatically shuts off."

"Why?" Lorne asked.

"It is an automatic shut down which I can only assume keeps the victim strong if the Wraith can't get to them right away. Maybe so they can go get food and drink. Runners are more of a challenge that way, right?"

Lorne just nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"Dr. Weir remembers nothing upon awakening. We're assuming Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay's devices are similar. The device itself has a phase discrepancy similar to a cloak. It is invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen using a shorter light wavelength. It is interesting that that is the technology Michael wants and his captives have it in their heads." Radek shook his head and looked at his laptop before continuing.

"In order to remove it, we're going to have to find the transmitter he is using to send the signal and hope that it can retract it. It is too heavily embedded in the spinal column and higher brain functions to be removed by conventional methods, but Dr. Beckett will discuss that."

Radek took a moment and a few cleansing breaths before concluding. "We are attempting to isolate the signal and jam it."

Everyone's gaze shifted to the large window and the shimmering Gate on the other side.

"It should be shutting down soon," one of the technicians noted perfunctorily.

Lorne nodded because he probably knew down to the second when it would shut down as did Radek. "Anything further, Doctor?"

"We'll keep trying and studying any pertinent data from Ixion." Radek leaned back in his chair and looked around the table. "Rodney is grumpy enough without amorous, brain octopus adding to it."

It was not that funny, but it was appreciated. Small self-conscious smirks crossed more than one face.

"Dr. Beckett." Maj. Lorne conceded the floor to him.

"Yes, well, as Dr. Zelenka already said, surgery is out of the question. There are little hooks at the end of each arm penetrating the soft tissues of the brain." Carson stood up and used his finger to point to a schematic of Dr. Weir's brain. He showed a few cross sections and magnified views of the ganglia. More than one person twitched and/or grimaced.

"What we do know is that once removed correctly, no ill-effects are felt. These devices are similar to the one used by that delightful chair on the planet Ixion. Whatever function it's serving, does not seem to harm the one affected unless told to by the transmitter."

Of course, that was pure speculation and hypothesizing from their previous encounters with the damned chair. There were no guarantees this time because the modifications and the differences in purpose created unknowns in the technology. He had to go with what he knew and trust in that little angel sitting on his shoulder.

"We need the device that removes the little bugger. It is the only way in which no harm will be done."

_No harm_, nowhere in the Hippocratic Oath did that term reside. It was thought to have been said by Galen, an extraordinary physician to the Roman Legions, a man, centuries ahead of his time. Yet, here it caught Carson short and he paused for a moment. Harm was all around him lately.

"Doc?" Lorne waited patiently.

"Sorry, where was I?"

"We need to get the control mechanism to safely remove…"

"Ah yes, can we add that to the terms of the trade? Getting our people back with those things still in them is ultimately futile. What's to say they wouldn't try something like this again?"

"Agreed, even if he doesn't want to give it up, we need it." Lorne shifted in his seat and tapped the table with his pointer finger. "I just don't see how we can give them a cloak."

"They also have the bomb," another major reminded him.

Lorne closed his eyes, "Yeah, there's that."

Carson could guess what Lorne really wanted to know…

"What kind of info could they possibly have on the queens?" Lorne asked.

"Whatever it is, he must think it important enough to bargain with it," guessed one of the biologists.

"Or it could just be their favorite colors," asserted Zelenka. "The problem is, as long as the three of them are incapacitated, Atlantis is vulnerable. We don't know what is going on in device or in heads. Is it downloading information or just a creepy sleeping aid?"

"Aye, we need to figure out if we sacrifice or if we deal," said Carson. He could not believe he had just said that. Had he become so jaded as to have a situation so cut and dry?

"Oh, we'll deal Doc, it's just with what and how," Lorne answered.

Radek perked up from his seat at the table. "I believe we can give them what they want and keep a certain amount of control of the situation."

Lorne cocked his head to look at the disheveled man. Seeing the light bulb going off over Radek's head, Lorne grinned, "Well now, do tell, Dr. Z."

Carson thought maybe the cowboy in Lorne just like to play hide and seek.

-------------------

"_Rodney, what happened?" _Elizabeth's only view of John was of the top of his head. She could not see his face.

However, Rodney could and his mind was beyond panic mode. He was a chaotic, mangled, and jumbled mess. Vacancy, if he had been a motel, his sign would have been flashing red. One lone motorist finally ambled in so he could answer.

"_Is dead a good enough answer for you?"_

He could not be right.

"_Then why is he still here. If he were dead…?"_

Rodney was a boiling pool of magma waiting to explode to the surface.

"_Calm down Rodney. What exactly did she do?"_ Elizabeth's own desperation welled from deep down inside of her.

"_Calm down?"_ he asked with a coldness she never wanted to feel from him again. She wondered where the magma got displaced to so quickly.

"_Calm down?" _he asked again. "_She just literally shut him off. Flipped a switch and turned out the lights. She sucked him dry in yet another despicable way than she already had. Calm down? Is that calm enough for you?"_

"_Thank you, Rodney." _Elizabeth sat Indian style facing the lump of pixels in the next chamber, impotent.

Rodney remained on his hands and knees staring at the Colonel. The song started organ grinding again and the only thing they could do was ignore it, barely. Every ounce of concentration was aimed at what had become the middle tomb. The black hole left by the representation of the body in the next spoke was all consuming. If she relied so heavily on John Sheppard, then how much had Rodney?

"_I've never had a friend like him before. Never needed one," _he answered the unspoken question.

She had known that. Everyone could see that. She never thought that Dr. Rodney (The Ego) McKay would ever grovel to another. He had done exactly that for the return of trust by John Sheppard. If he had never earned back the little piece that John had given of himself, Rodney would have been devastated.

"He asked me to trust him…" was the explanation John gave for going back to Doranda. It was the greatest gift John Sheppard had to give. If she read his file right, from early on, trust had not been given to him or, more accurately, respect in the form of unconditional love. Overbearing and emotionally distant fathers were hard that way.

Rodney hung his head.

"_It's commendable Rodney because neither one of you ever lets anyone that close. You found each other when you needed one another the most. He needed you to earn that trust back as much as you needed to do it."_

Rodney silently agreed. But he wondered: why John (or in his mind, the Colonel) had folded so quickly? He also wondered: why Sheppard had born the brunt of the onslaught by himself? Why had he hidden it and not trusted his team?

The program had been softening John up for months. Of course he had hidden it because he had never been cured. There was no cure available except for removing whatever was in their heads. It dawned on both of them about the control it must have taken to keep functioning while his brain kept fighting. It must have been astronomical and completely grueling. In true Sheppard fashion, he just adapted to the constant barrage.

Lucy had attacked and won so easily because he was completely exhausted from the assault. The entire point of the changes in the implant was to conquer John Sheppard and it did so with frightening ease. It all came back to his sense of duty and need for self-reliance-- his need to return to Atlantis. Elizabeth realized the reverse was true as well-- Atlantis' need for him. John would not have had it any other way and he was going to do it on his own.

"_Is there anything we can do?" _She asked.

"_Off."_

"_What?"_

"_She turned him off."_

"_Yes Rodney, you already said that."_

"_She's the pilot. She's piloting the Good Ship Sheppard. We're not in our brains. The devices have linked with our electrical impulses and brought us here. It's pirated our synapses and diverted them to this fine establishment. That's why we can't remember anything when we wake up because it's being stored here. She's trapped him here and run off with the Black Pearl."_

Rodney's brain shuffled, and like playing cards, fell into discordant order.

"_She hasn't downloaded into his brain; she's just sending signals to his brain through…" _He paused and waved his hand in a circle behind his own head. "…_the whatever in his head. When the device is removed, she'll go with it. I'll even bet she doesn't want to stay. He's said it himself on Earth, who wants to give up immortality?"_

Elizabeth thought back to her first official meeting with John Sheppard in Antarctica particularly when she was at the end of her _this is the greatest opportunity you'll ever have _spiel. She was sure it would have worked. It should have worked. It had worked on most of the people on the original expedition. Shit, it still worked on the ones that even knew about the Wraith. He remained seemingly unimpressed.

"Major, the expedition needs you. I'm not going to beg but no one has been able to do what you just effortlessly accomplished in that chair."

She gave him the most earnest, used-car salesman face she could. He was a hard man to read. Hell, she had found he was a hard man to sell. There was disinterest, amusement, and a _you've go to be kidding me _undercurrent as he sat across from her.

He said no. He was not supposed to say no. She had talked countries down from nuclear war. She had kept brittle alliances strong. She had negotiated peace treaties with warlords. One Air Force major should not have been able to say no. This opportunity was a free ticket out of purgatory and he said no. That was when she appealed to Gen. O'Neill.

She soon discovered she had tried to appeal to John's sense of vanity. Her tack had been what it could do for him. How it would help him out of his current posting. Obviously, that had not swayed him nor would it ever.

O'Neill had known better. O'Neill had appealed to his sense of adventure and, most importantly, to his sense of duty- the _how it would help others _spiel. John Sheppard had a strong sense of duty. He had confessed to flipping a coin, but she did not think that a single coin toss had made the decision.

The John Sheppard she met in Antarctica, and failed to convince to come on the expedition, was not the only facet. Affectations, all of it. He reminded her of the game show To Tell the Truth. Nipsy Russel and Kitty Carlisle asked questions of three contestants. The answers let little tid-bits of information about the contestant leak out so they could take an educated guess at the real person.

Sometimes, Elizabeth wanted to ask, "Would the real John Sheppard please stand up?" She had experienced so many personalities in the time she had known him that the truth must lie somewhere in the middle. Day by day, she peeled back the layers and met her second in command hoping that one day he would feel comfortable answering the question.

She had learned one thing though. John Sheppard lived in his head. This hiding in plain sight had been going on for a while. It did not start with his capture on the Hive ship or even his move to the Pegasus Galaxy or even Antarctica. It was deeply ingrained and most likely from a very young age. Lucy had stolen his last hiding spot. She had broken open his last place of refuge and destroyed it and him.

But not just him.

Elizabeth stared at Rodney and felt every conflicting emotion and thought that escaped his head. He apparently felt hers.

"_We'll fix this…I'll fix this." _He wanted to be positive. He wanted her to know that this was not outside of his capabilities. He fought to prove his confidence and reliability. He was failing because he was in the same state as her, shock.

"_Yes, we will," _she emphatically agreed.

Neither one knew how yet. The worst part was: when they woke up, they would not remember needing to fix anything.

So they kept the vigil until Elizabeth felt as if she were climbing up a cliff. She guessed at the next sensation. "_Rodney, I'm leaving soon."_

He nodded in recognition. "_Don't let the door…" _He stopped and rethought his response. "_I'll be waiting."_

Elizabeth started her plummet and thought over and over and over, "He's not John. He's not John. He's…**_not_**…John!"

-------------------

_A/N: The dreaded exposition chapter. The first part was the hardest to write and the second the easier of the two. Still not happy with either. Weird._

_Thanks again for reading and leaving feedback. It is truly appreciated._


	10. Shock, Shock, Horror, Horror

_A/N: It has occurred to me that some of the Wraith behaviors have to do with things revealed in Common Ground. So, I guess, you should consider them spoilers._

Chapter 10

Shock, Shock, Horror, Horror

It? Him? Her? He settled on "it".

It smiled like it owned every one of the beings on the planet. He hated the female of the species right now. So, Michael did not hesitate to turn off the device.

Dr. McKay jerked and sat up, startled. Tears rolled down his face and coherence took a moment as he looked around at those near him. Ronon knelt down beside him and supported his back. Teyla immediately moved closer to settle any fears by placing a hand on his leg.

On the other hand, Col. Sheppard yawned and rolled its eyes.

"Do you really think I would let a little device or a _male _control me?" it said scornfully.

The Lanteans watched tensely and the Wraith shifted nervously while futility washed over Michael. He turned the device back on. Dr. McKay slumped boneless into Ronon. Ronon laid the man back down on the emergency blankets Michael had allowed them to use and glared. Once again his body language said, _Fight me. _Teyla stood up blocking Ronon and took her own threatening step towards Michael.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked with her temper flaring while pointing an accusing finger at Col. Sheppard.

Michael gave an unbelieving snort, "When I find out, you'll be the second to know, Teyla."

Sheppard's eyes never left Michael's face. "What has happened that you would be consorting with the menu…_Michael_?"

It was the same tone his Queen had used. The tone expressing that tainted putrescence stood before her. He could use that tone too because this Queen was trapped in a fragile, human body.

"I think we should discuss this elsewhere," he suggested. "Out of earshot."

"Very well. Is the village empty? I want to get this mud off." It looked down at all the smears on the clothes and tapped at the partially crusted clay in its hair.

"Yes." He motioned for it to walk down the path. He could end its life right now but the scent…the scent told him to obey. So, he followed subserviently like he had been doing all of his life. Humans followed their leader by choosing. His people were genetically predisposed. He would still fight it. Maybe his taint would come in handy.

Once in the cleared out village, it cleaned all of the mud off of its body and replaced the Lantean uniform with local pants, a loose fitting shirt and boots. They entered a large tent at the center of the village in order to discuss the new developments. Standing in the middle of the tent, it ran a hand across the back of a heavily carved chair and slowly trailed its hand to the arm.

"He named me Lucy," it started by way of introduction. "So we have something in common."

It dropped itself into the chair and flexed its right hand. "I guess I'll have to find some other form of sustenance. Pity."

Michael stood impassive and just waited. He was confused, distressed and angry, but he knew better than to speak unsolicited.

"What is it you want from them, little rogue?" It lounged with both legs over the arm of the chair and its back against the other. "No, don't answer that. Let me guess."

Michael frowned and shifted in his spot.

"To hide. To hide from all my sisters." It leered arrogantly as if its position was not a precarious one or as if she was not in a similar situation. "Let me tell you a little story…a story about flawlessness blemished."

It was then that he truly knew with whom he was speaking.

"We found the beacon and know about your attempt at Earth."

His Queen had let him study it before they destroyed it. She had told him that one with such taint might be able to understand some of the schematics of Atlantis since he had lived there. In his quest, he found a little, hidden compartment with a little, hidden device. It also had schematics and instructions for organic triggers left in three individuals. He thought the irony splendid. His only regret, Dr. Beckett was not one of them.

Without his Queen's knowledge, he had successfully tested the little device before the failed mission to reach Earth. From the readings on the transmitter, it had worked as designed. Apparently, there had been additions to Sheppard's that had gone unnoticed.

"Yes, I guessed that since I am speaking right now. But after I left the beacon, I realized that the forces that protect Earth could be far more formidable than originally thought. It occurred to me that the trickster had lied to me. They are by the way. They have heavily armed friends. I thought just because the humans here cannot ally themselves with one another successfully that that was the same for all humans. My mistake."

It sat up and put one foot on the ground and one on the seat of the chair. It placed an arm on the top of the upraised knee.

"Billions of them by the way, there are billions." Gluttony sparkled in her eyes.

If he had had less control, he might have drooled. Amazing, they had hidden that fact from him while living in the city as one of them. He had figured it out once they downloaded all of the information from the Atlantis computers. No wonder Earth was a coveted feeding ground.

"At first, these prototypes in conjunction with the tracers were just to make sure I kept track of the important ones. Seems like I missed one according to my host, a very important one. And it's the one your after, is it not?"

Michael maintained his controlled aloofness.

It let out an exaggerated exhale and pointed to itself. "His device, I modified it as a life boat, an escape pod if you will. He was unconscious for quite a bit of time so the gift of life in a perverted form went into the little vessel. An imprint of my consciousness transferred right before we reached their solar system. So, when you activated the device, I waited until I gained everything I needed and here we are." It smiled and spread its arms to take in the tent as if this bit of fabric was its entire domain.

"But what about you? He was hoping you were blown up on some, nice, little, out-of-the-way planet."

Michael truly appreciated the workings of the universe and gave his own smirk. "The Hive rescued some of us before our area was hit by a bombardment. We figured the Lanteans escaped the Hive they had stolen by using one of their cloaked ships. Seemed like a good idea to us. We commandeered a cruiser and, so, here _we _are."

"Well then, I think it's time to move forward. You don't need a cloak from them; I can help you."

Michael flared his nostrils and smiled yet again. _The female of the species was definitely more deadly than the male, _he thought. Of course, he did not trust a fragile bone in its body.

So be it.

-------------------

As Col. Sheppard walked away, Teyla was not sure if this was some sort of really bad joke. Maybe it was a bizarre trick to fool the Wraith or them. In her heart, she knew different.

She turned back to the small group of Atlantians totally at a loss for words. Their shocked expressions met hers. Col. Sheppard's gait, movements and voice took on a more feminine air and it was unsettling. There was something else, though. It was not a presence as such, but a gnawing of wrongness like the disguise did not fit him.

She looked up at the giant insect mound serving as their prison. Stackhouse had compared it to a termite mound and said that he hoped the little critters did not bite. She agreed since they were sitting against it. In this makeshift prison, Ronon's fierceness towards Michael had not dissipated and the Wraith around her were still agitated. Whatever had taken over Col. Sheppard was a surprise to them as well. She heard whispers bandying about and decided to eavesdrop.

A queen. She felt sick because she could take a guess at which queen.

The last glance Sheppard gave over his shoulder held menace and it was aimed at her. Her friend had suffered at the hands of this queen and, now, she did it again. Teyla looked down at Dr. McKay and understood why he had been crying. He most certainly knew. Somehow he had watched as his teammate was overtaken and obviously, could do nothing about it.

They were caught in the middle of a plan thought out and executed well in advance of ever meeting Michael. As luck would have it, he was a dupe as well. He thought the technology left behind would help him in his own personal goals. Unlucky for him, another plan was trying to take over and it was devious.

With his brief return to consciousness, Teyla recognized that Dr. McKay would not be of much use, even awake. It had taken awhile for him to gain coherence and then he had not moved. This state of rest was not. Lying so long in sleep or in not-sleep was taking its toll. As with many times before, she knew they had to play the waiting game and closed her eyes to do so.

"Smithsonian!" Dr. McKay had excitedly shouted while they sat in a rec room at the SGC. "The place we need to go is the Smithsonian. It is the last thing on the must do list."

Teyla remembered thinking, _why not? _"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a museum or a group of museums really. They have everything from our first attempts at flight to the ruby red slippers from one of your favorite movies," he babbled.

"The Smithsonian sounds like fun," she accepted it like the invitation it was.

"No," John interrupted them. "Let's show you the other side."

Dr. McKay and Ronon stared uncomprehendingly at his request. She had not understood either--at first.

"We'll do the Smithsonian Rodney, but let's show them how we really live."

Then understanding broke like dawn, John was having a dark day.

"We are violence," he said so low that it was a rumbling whisper.

He showed them the war machine. The amazing vehicles, systems, and ships of war on their planet that if transferable could help any planet in her galaxy. She saw his beloved helicopters along with fighter jets and bombers. She marveled at the tanks that rolled over anything in their path and rumbled their presence for miles around. The large guns-- Howitzer, she believed was the name-- fired ordinance that no one in Pegasus had dreamed of in so long. It decimated targets from miles away with a loud smoke-filled bang. For as many years as she had lived on Atlantis, these things had never been shown to her in such detail. She could understand why.

There were so many weapons of war just to fight them. The Genii would have gone…and she borrowed this term from one of the marines…ape shit. Finally, she saw Afghanistan and understood her friend even more. To experience these things, they did not have to leave the SGC. They only had to turn on the T.V. and watch because John had said that the couch was close enough.

"I thought it was more of your special effects," said Ronon practically caressing the screen. "These things exist and you do not bring them with you?"

"They're not terribly effective against orbital assault," John shrugged.

"The bunker busters would have been useful against the Genii though," Rodney said off-handedly.

John just shrugged again. "Anyway, a tank doesn't fit through the Gate and we did bring the rail guns."

Rodney sighed, "Well, let me get back to the Wraith dart. The trained monkeys were so flummoxed by the organic nature they almost started to do mouth to mouth to get the power going again. And I have no idea where they were going to put their mouths. Idiots." Rodney stood and looked at his team on the couch in the SGC rec room. "Smithsonian, and maybe we can make sure we go the Aeronautical Museum just for you, Colonel."

Sheppard barely smiled while staring at an indistinct point on the wall.

The Colonel continued to heal. When John neared his time to be released and placed on restrictive duty, they visited the Smithsonian (plus T'ealc and Col. Mitchell as their dutiful escorts) and she saw the beautiful slippers in a glass case. The Colonel saw the aircraft and Ronon saw weapons of centuries past. It had been a great day.

They had kept their pact made in the hospital room months before. They had brought him through the darkness and back home. Or so she had thought.

Now, as she watched John Sheppard's body walk away with something else guiding it, she wondered if they had all been fooled for months.

-------------------

"…not _JOHN_!"

Carson wheeled around from his station and ran to Elizabeth's bedside. He looked a mess. Not enough sleep, too much stress, and an over dependence on caffeine gave him that crumpled up piece of paper look. The wrinkled white lab coat underscored the appearance.

After the quick inspection of leads, tubes and whatever else she had adhered or inserted, he asked, "How ya doin' lass?"

"Better than you?" Elizabeth thought she could not feel any worse than he looked.

He smiled briefly at that, but quickly grew pensive. "Do you remember what you just said?"

She shook her head.

"Not John. Do you have any idea what you meant?"

As a nurse took vitals, she pondered the statement…and came up blank. Not a clue. Nada. Nope. She shook her head.

Carson pursed his lips together and nodded slowly. "Was afraid of that. You don't have any idea of what's happening when you sleep, do you?"

"No." She felt sorry. She really did. She felt like she was letting them all down and could not quite grasp why. It felt like it was all her fault…

"You have only a few moments. The Gate's shut down and Michael'll be dialing back in soon. Just know, Dr. Zelenka is working on it. Everyone's doing fine that we know of and we're…"

Her eyes closed before the end of his sentence.

-------------------

"…taking care of everything," he finished quietly, head drooping towards his chest.

"I believe we've found it!" Radek sang as he ran into the infirmary. He skidded to a stop next to Carson. "I just missed her, didn't I?" He peered down at Dr. Weir's bed and paid his respects.

"Egads, Radek. This isn't her funeral," Carson rebuffed Zelenka's solemn, wake-like stance.

"I know, but is difficult…ah…seeing her this way." He turned a small smile back to Carson. "But back to business, we have isolated the signal and are readying our own communication devices to jam it. Dr. Haushaur is in Control Room now." He bobbed up and down on his toes like Rodney. "I'm here to monitor…" he paused for an embellished breath, "…Dr. Weir."

Carson thought it almost sounded like a lovesick sigh, but would not let his brain dwell on it any longer than need be. "Alright Radek, let's give this a try. If it works, then Rodney and the Colonel will wake up too and that will take away some of Michael's leverage." He tapped his earpiece. "Is Major Lorne in the Control room?"

"I'm here Doc. Let's get this show on the…hold on Doc."

Carson did not like the waiting or the suspense. Of course, life and death situations were no stranger to him. He had grown use to situations complete with extreme traumatic tendencies. It read like a to do list: 1.) Make rounds. 2.) Work on continuing experiments. 3.) Put members of expedition back together again.

Did not mean he had to like it.

He knew the wormhole was open because of Dr. Weir's unconscious state. What could possibly be the hold up?

"It's Michael, Doc…I'll patch him through. It's time to set up the deal," the cowboy said in his ear.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Michael had other ideas.

-------------------

_A/N: Thank you again for the wonderful reviews and taking the time to read!_


	11. So Let It Go

Chapter 11

So Let It Go

…_because the stupid, moronic, crazy son of a bitch is worth it. _

And Elizabeth had to ask herself and Rodney, "_Worth what?"_

"_Trying to cross the barrier between our slices of the pie," _he stated as if it was as plain as the nose on her face.

"_Couldn't it…oh, I don't know…kill you, Rodney?"_

"_Sure, why?" _Once again, plain as the nose.

This was insane.

"_They're working on it, Rodney. They're trying to disrupt the signal." _She had to make him understand.

"_No! No, they can't. He'll be here all alone. She's taken over. It might…" _

She realized his arguments had left cold, hard, scientific logic behind and ventured into pure, illogical, emotional responses.

"_Rodney, just wait." _

Upon returning to their mental prison, she had not anticipated on finding a suicidal astrophysicist with a hard, unyielding glare.

"_No."_

Without any more idle chit chat, he walked into the invisible wall and disintegrated--

Elizabeth's heart went into her mouth.

--only for him to reform on his side of the barrier separating the playground and his piece of pie.

"_Thought so," _he mumbled, dejected. He slumped and slouched and dragged his feet like he had just lost the big game. She supposed he had.

"_It's a broadcast like T.V. Since, we aren't really here with each other, there's no substance."_

She also realized how dumbed down Rodney explained things. The technical aspects whirred through his mind, but, instead, out of his mouth came Bill Nye the Science Guy. She really appreciated it at the moment because sometimes Rodney thought everyone was a mind reader. And as luck would have it, in this place, they were.

Of course, now she truly understood why he thought of everyone as idiots. They really were compared to him, except for the Colonel. The reason he had never called John by his name was crystal clear…

"_Rodney."_

"_Just **don't**, Elizabeth." _It was the most penitence that McKay had ever expressed and that was with Doranda.

She received a _thanks for reminding me _glare from him.

"_She's afraid of him," _Elizabeth said after a long, impregnated pause. "_He beat her. He won. She couldn't control him in life so she's doing it now."_

"_By playing unfair," _Rodney whined mournfully. "_I don't get it. We're really not that big of a threat-- yet."_

"_To the whole race, no. Individually, yes. We've stopped them numerous times and I don't think they're used to that."_

"_Not for a very long time. One of the male Wraiths on the Hive told me that." _He gave a rueful smile. "_It must really put their panties in a twist_. _Put their shorts in a wad. Curdle their cream…_"

She stifled a giggle while answering, "_We are a definite problem to them, Dr. McKay and I can't see them letting us get away with it for very much longer. Especially since we wield the Ancients toys so well." _Elizabeth felt pride run through her as she looked at Sheppard again. Well, at least one of us does, she amended fondly. "_We're also the doorway to the super-sized, grande meal called Earth."_

She was tired of the blame game. This situation was what it was: an unfortunate and ugly affair that they would play out until they ended up on the winning side. She had no doubts about that. It was time the Wraith got a splinter in their collective paw and felt the annoyance turn into a royal, festering pain. She hoped that the expedition continued to act like an infection robbing the Wraith of their strength bit by excruciating bit.

"_Yeah, we're that alright…Hey, wait, what am I?" _He pouted after processeing her thought about Sheppard and his wielding of Ancient toys.

"_You, Rodney, are what my Great-aunt Sudie would call, the brains in the eggs. A special treat hidden in the ordinary."_ Aunt Sudie had been a Grand Dame of Richmond society and a political barracuda. She was a behind the scenes kind of lady so Elizabeth and she had gotten on well. Too bad Aunt Sudie was not still around to discuss things with the IOA or the Wraith. They would have been picked apart and would have not known which end was up. Or in the Wraith's case, which hand they fed with.

He twisted his face into a disgusted grimace. "_My eating habits what they are…I'd rather be chopped liver. But thanks for the nauseating complement."_

"_You're welcome."_

Sitting on the floor, they looked at each other with small smiles and then at the frozen, motionless…

"_Maybe he's only been set on pause, Rodney. Maybe all we need is a play button to return him to normal."_

"_Hmph," _he snorted. "_Maybe he's stuck in a DVR hell, and has to watch Full House over and over. Serves him right naming all those people after old T.V. show characters." _

It was mean spirited and that was good. It meant Rodney would be all right for the immediate future.

"_I almost forgot. When I woke up in the infirmary, I said, 'not John.' I still didn't remember anything but my mouth seemed to."_

He perked up. "_That could be very useful," _he said. "_We can deliver succinct notes to those on the outside." _Rodney scrunched up his face in determined concentration as the wheels started turning.

She had played the blame game and now it was time to move on mentally…and apparently physically. The sensation of falling surprised her since she had not been back that long. Radek must have been successful.

As the falling sensation increased, Rodney sat up even straighter as he started to have an idea. A fantastic, brilliant and learned idea clicked into place. But, it might have been too late.

Then a panicked thought raced through Rodney's head. If a shut down consciousness returned to a brain, what would happen to the body?

The look of shock on Rodney's face mirrored hers because he was fading too and worried what would happen to Sheppard. They knew what their new chant had to be and both hoped it carried enough momentum into the waking world. They also had to hope that the queen was still in control or John might not have a snowball's chance.

-------------------

Teyla felt Michael's return from the village and prepared herself to fight for the negotiations, even if there was only a small chance of success. She was unsure of what would happen next. Col. Sheppard being taken over by a queen probably was not on the agenda for the day's activities, even for Michael.

It had taken Ronon quite a bit of time to calm down. She could say with certainty that Stackhouse and his team were not far behind. The Wraith would not let them speak so conversations were kept to eye glances and gestures. The nervous and agitated energy wriggled under everyone's skin. This was a volatile situation and more than they had bargained for when the quest for fruit began.

She moved to sit with Rodney and studied his sleeping face. His distress had been heartbreaking. He had known. Somehow, and she was very sure of this, he had known. She would do her best to make this right.

Michael and the queen's boots sounded on the pathway as they drew nearer. Ronon stood up to greet them as did the team. The Wraith guards even shifted nervously as the pair approached which made the humans even more nervous.

She returned wearing local clothes and carrying Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay's packs. Once again, the gait and motion of the strides were all wrong. Also, the glint in the queen's eye was unmistakable for anything other than a successful talk with Michael. The deal had changed. Teyla was ready to defend her people because, surely, there was a defense.

Michael started talking before they stopped in front of the termite mound. "The agreement is terminated. You will be allowed to go home, but I need Dr. McKay and of course, Col. Sheppard." The statement landed a figurative punch to Teyla's middle.

It was too much for Ronon. He roared a resounding, "NO!" as he lunged for Michael. A drone struck him down before he could get anywhere near the pair. He hit the drying path with a resounding thud that matched his roar. He rebounded and sat up quickly ready to strike again if need be.

Teyla placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him there.

"I expected as much from you, Ronon. Sometimes, it seems you are the only one I understand." Michael addressed Teyla next, "Not so nice on the other end of a double cross, is it? An unexpected double cross to be sure, but one of my choosing. It is the nature of humanity to fail in their obligations. Something I learned from all of you."

Teyla, schooled in the art of the trade, read that this could go very badly. He spoke of double cross as if it were part of any relationship. It seems the lessons taught and learned during his time on Atlantis were all the wrong ones.

"We are about to get what we want without having to taint ourselves any further. Your assistance is no longer needed."

She also could not believe he would just let them go. She suspected no one in the immediate vicinity did either. Stackhouse and his second stepped forward readying for a fight as his other two men placed themselves between Dr. McKay and any Wraith wanting to take him. A valiant move that would be ultimately fruitless with all of the stunners aimed at them.

Teyla struck her leadership pose, head held high and back straight. "No Michael, you cannot have them so easily. We were negotiating an equitable conclusion for both of our sakes. She cannot be trusted to lead you anywhere. Her agenda is not your own. You have no link to her, except that with which she has influenced you." She had gained this piece of information by eavesdropping on the Wraith stationed near her. They could hear nothing of her thoughts.

The queen sneered angrily when Michael gave an imperceptible, tilted nod of his head. _He already knows this_, thought Teyla. He was counting on it. He was using her as well as the Atlantians. She feared for Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay even more now.

"I no longer need your assistance," Michael said again. He stopped and touched his ear. "Atlantis, this is Michael. Dr. Beckett, our deal is concluded. We no longer need your cloak."

Michael flinched from what could only be vehement arguments in his ear. He seemed amused in his reaction.

"We will, however, need Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay." He abruptly cut the radio.

During the cancellation of talks, the pure hatred rolling off of the queen was tangible and it was all aimed at Teyla. She realized her remarks had hit home. This queen had her own plot underway and when the two clashed, the Atlantians would be the ones to get hurt.

The creature that stared with contempt could continue for all Teyla cared because she was not worthy of the body she wore. Teyla decided to continue her plea for the release of Dr. McKay. She was not sure what could be done for Col. Sheppard, but what could possibly stop her from trying.

"I will not stand by and just let you take…"

The queen gave Teyla her answer. She released a baritone screech and with a swift, fluid movement, she threw Col. Sheppard's knife right at Teyla's heart.

-------------------

_A/N: Sorry for the delay, but you know how some of these delightful head colds are just knocking people on their keisters. Well, let's just say that Sunday all my eyes saw were the inside of their eyelids. The bunnies held the Kleenex for me and kept the kids at bay. All hail the bunnies._


	12. No Time to Wallow in the Mire

Chapter 12

No Time to Wallow in the Mire

So, anyway, maybe revenge was not a new concept in his kind's way of doing things. He had lied to himself because revenge had been around for awhile and, apparently, this queen had a design for it against Teyla. He had tried to tell himself that Wraith were different. That, Wraith were superior. It was a complete fabrication and an immature delusion on his part.

They were all tainted in some little way.

Lucky for Teyla, her reflexes were quick enough that the knife did not breech her heart, but those same reflexes were not quick enough to completely get her out of the way. Her shoulder, right over her left breast, caught the dagger and her body staggered backwards before collapsing. Her companions were by her side in seconds and yelled very loudly all sorts of very unkind epithets. The drones stopped them from advancing any farther in Michael's direction.

Michael reacted by striking the queen hard in the face. It staggered back a few steps and laughed at his temerity. Wiping a trail of blood off of its split lip, it walked forward and returned the back hand with a punch of its own. To his surprise, he staggered back a few steps definitely unprepared for the strength behind the blow.

"Enough," it hissed. "You fool, she was reading everyone's mind! Finish them," it commanded.

His brethren agreed in his head. They were hungry and it was not easy standing guard over such savory delights.

He took the transmitter out of his pocket and turned it off.

"RESET!" McKay yelled and sat up woozily. He blinked furiously and his coordination was nonexistent. His arms spastically flopped as he tried to grab at the shirt of the sergeant sitting with him.

"No," Michael answered her. "They have another purpose that we will need later. It was not my intention today unless they forced my hand."

"They are the enemy, _Michael_. Do not forget what they did to you." She tried to entice him with her ancient pheromones, but he was stronger than his traitorous genes.

He simply responded, "We are wasting time." _Please, _he thought spitefully. _How could I forget?_

Michael looked directly at Ronon while the drones stunned Stackhouse and his team because of his silent command. At the same time, two drones grabbed a groggy, mud-caked McKay and dragged him over to Michael and the shell of Sheppard's body. McKay's head sagged and lolled around on his neck. His legs tried to help but failed. Ronon postured and snarled his lip threatening dire retribution at his teammate's condition. He remained next to Teyla trying to stem the bleeding.

"Ronon, you have a choice," Michael started. "Either try to catch us or get them help. I am setting a beacon somewhere on this planet and it will reach amongst the stars and call more Wraith here. Within an hour of your time, this planet will be culled for the second time today. I suggest you take care and leave as quickly as possible."

Ronon pulsated with fury alongside the bewilderment at the sudden change of events.

"When Dr. McKay is finished with his task, he will be returned," Michael offered as small consolation.

"What about Sheppard?" Ronon barked clearly not trusting the Wraith for a moment.

The queen tensed at his side waiting for the betrayal. _Not yet, _Michael thought. _There will be time for all of that later._

"I have no control over it. I will see what I can do." He gave her a placating glance.

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Ronon's voice lowered.

"You have my word such as it is." Michael knew this would not be taken at face value. Anyway, why should Ronon believe anything he had to say?

Ronon reacted with a dark, rich laugh before answering through his teeth, "By all means, what could I've possibly been thinking."

"You are foolish, _Michael_," it spit at him interrupting their conversation. "They will not hesitate to kill our kind."

It was Michael's turn to laugh because how his brethren and he were viewed by the Wraith landed on his shoulders like a crashing dart. "We have no kind anymore. Our kind finds us unclean. And you, my unfortunate queen, are wrapped in a delicacy."

He turned back to Ronon.

"Tell Dr. Beckett: when Dr. McKay returns, I will have a message for him."

As his last act, Michael threw Ronon a headset before two darts screeched through the air scooping up the entire Wraith party. It left Ronon quite alone.

----------------

All of their plotting and planning was for nothing. Radek and company did not even get a chance to transmit the signal or give Michael a sabotaged cloak. Michael had turned the tables and gotten away. Carson's zeal for finding a way of defeating the Wraith had led to all of this. Two were missing and the lass- with a standard issue, military knife protruding from her upper left chest- lay on his examination table waiting for him to finish.

"Teyla dear, hold still so the scanner can give us a nice clear picture." She nodded and winced because of the pull on her muscles. She was a little loopy from pain medication and blood loss, but overall, she was coherent.

"How are the others, Dr. Beckett?"

He studied the monitor and held up a hand to have her quiet for a second. He clicked on a few images saving them to study before answering her.

"They'll have the normal pins and needles along with mud caked in every conceivable and uncomfortable place, but they'll be fine. Ronon got everyone back in one piece…"

Ronon's voice had blared over the comms demanding assistance. Lorne had already been preparing response teams when the Satedan's voice continued to give what information he had.

"Except for Rodney and the Colonel," she added. "I failed on two agreements today."

"I know the feeling Lass, but he pulled the wool…" He paused and wanted so badly to hear some disparaging comment to come from McKay that he nearly said one himself. "…over our eyes."

"I am beginning to wonder if I've lost my edge," she lamented.

"No lass, you just met your team who has a penchant for trouble and likes to share." He patted her very lightly on the leg and let the attendants wheel her to the prep room for surgery.

The control room had erupted when Michael said the trade was off. Lorne had two teams geared up and in Jumpers before Carson could even make it to the Gate room. After Ronon's call for help, they were off as soon as the Gate could be reengaged. The teams encountered no Wraith. The only people left were the Atlantians and a few Chell survivors. Ronon said leave them. Lorne said no. They were not coming back home with the Jumpers, but they needed to find themselves someplace else to live unless they felt like going through a second culling for the day.

Carson had no idea what had happened to the survivors, but Teyla said their Chieftain had decided their fate. Atlantis could not help everyone on such a personal level-- especially those that made deals with Wraith. She pretty much ordered Carson not to worry.

This was still all his fault.

Beckett, so lost in his thoughts, was startled by an iron grip that encircled his arm. It pulled him to the hallway and whirled him around to face a smoldering gaze.

"Ronon, are ya daft? Let me go!"

"Not until you let it go yourself."

"What are you talking about?" But, Beckett already knew exactly what he was talking about.

Ronon had been standing not too far away from Teyla and him as they talked. Beckett had allowed Ronon to stay so he could have some piece of mind that part of his team was safe. That might have been another mistake.

"Your people pine and weep over things you can't change. I've watched you since the planet of changed ones and can see you beating yourself up. It was a success and that makes it even worse. There are always choices you make that you wish you could take back." Fierceness entered Ronon's eyes and made Carson flinch back into the wall.

"Ronon, now's…"

"Now's the perfect time. You're second guessing yourself. I could hear your conversation with Teyla. This is Michael's fault. This is that queen's fault. Your virus worked and it eats at you. But if it didn't, we would have all been dead; lost in the void between galaxies. Sheppard, McKay, me, and the entire crew of the Daedalus would have suffocated because there was no air. The Hive ship was our only hope. Your virus was our only hope. They're the enemy and I had no problem using it on them. All of the Wraith on that ship did not die and those that did, it doesn't matter because I'll continue to kill Wraith the old-fashioned way and enjoy it. No matter what they look like, they're still Wraith. Beckett you could not save them, but you saved us."

He increased the pressure of his grip and made sure Beckett looked right at him.

"You have reminded me that there is more to life than fighting the Wraith with any sort of weapon. I'm standing here, in this place, for two reasons. One, you gave me freedom of life back. That, I'll never forget. And two, I didn't go after Michael or any left over Wraith on a one man vengeance crusade, but stayed with those I needed to help and protect. I'm not alone anymore and neither are you."

Ronon let go.

"Go save Teyla's life." He left without waiting for an answer.

Carson stood there in the brightly lit hallway shivering and massaging his arm. He closed his eyes and regained his composure. He was doing that a lot today. His decision was a no brainer.

"Guess I'd better be a listenin' to the man," whispered Carson and walked back into the infirmary to go save Teyla's life.

-------------------

Elizabeth watched all of the happenings in the infirmary. Sgt. Stackhouse and his team resided near her blissfully unaware. The nurse informed her of Teyla and then Ronon told her of John and Rodney. That was the hardest pill to swallow. It seemed her message of "not John" had had some meaning after all. Now, all she had to do was figure out what "reset" meant.

She also witnessed Ronon man-handling Carson out of the infirmary. One of the marines stationed near the door was going to investigate when she shook her head no. They still listened to her even with an octopus in her head. It suited her just fine because she too had overheard Teyla and Carson. He carried a heavy burden as did they all. Each new mistake canceled out triumphs more numerous to count. They lived in a _what have you done for me lately _kind of society even if it was a few billion light years away.

She would have to officially welcome Teyla to the shark infested waters of leadership, Earth style. That is, when she was better.

As she lay upon her bed, more suitors came to pay their respects or give her the lowdown on the happenings around the city. Lorne had come by with a run down of the status of things in general and welcomed her back from the land of the lost. She appreciated the gesture. Radek came in to steal sideway looks and check the most recent scans on the octopus. Ronon would be stalking through from time to time after getting all of the caked mud off of him. She was sure he would take up residence near Teyla when she exited surgery and recovery.

Elizabeth was pretty much confined to the infirmary until they could track down Michael. It was a wait and see game of galactic proportions. Whatever his plans, he was calling the shots. Well, he did give his word to return Rodney. So, what was there to worry about?

-------------------

_A/N: Thanks for all of the well wishing. I'm feeling loads better and just thought I wouldn't leave such an overt cliffy with this chapter. I do love them though. Makes it worth checking out the next one, doesn't it? Thanks for taking the time to read!_


	13. I Howl and I Whine

Chapter 13

I Howl and I Whine

The worst part about not having a link with _it_ was that _it _could hide. Michael stalked down the corridors of _his _ship looking for _it _because _it_ had stolen the transmitter.

_Has anyone seen her? _Michael asked politely affording her every consideration a queen demanded. She was supposed to have a constant guard because he could not quite put her…no, it…in the cells. The buzz of checking vibrated through his head and the unsatisfactory answer of "no" reverberated in his skull. He punched the air in frustration and hissed.

Rounding the next bend in the passageway, he found it with its guard who had ignored his hails. They were exiting a science lab and she greeted him most innocently.

"Checking up on me, _Michael_?"

"What were you doing in there?" With his patience gone, he grabbed it by the arm.

"Relax. I was just double checking the transmitter to make sure it was functioning properly." It gave a sideways glance at her guard. "Don't want to get trapped in here," it said tapping the side of Sheppard's head.

You could put the Wraith in the human, but the Wraith could not stay hidden for very long. When they returned to the cruiser she…it tried to take command by ordering Dr. McKay to be taken immediately to the cells.

He had the satisfaction of his brethren looking to him for guidance. He liked that-- a lot. Of course, he confirmed her…its command and Dr. McKay was dragged to the cells. Michael then followed _it _like a pet down the corridor.

He surmised the implant must have been excreting the pheromone that the queens used for blind subservience. Although, the effects of the pheromone could be lessening because the tendencies were growing easier to ignore.

As she confessed of fatigue and sought her quarters, she…it walked arm and arm with him. The touch was extremely disconcerting because she/it smelled like Sheppard as well. The two aromas mixed and his confusion grew. He wanted to follow its orders and devour it at the same time.

Plus, it was just plain bizarre.

However, his confusion distracted him enough for her to pick his pocket. A female Wraith in a human male's body was proving to be problematic. Sometimes, he did not know who was fooling who.

"Hand it over!" He held out his hand for the device.

"Here, it's working fine," it answered derisively.

As he held its arm and accepted the device in the other hand, he felt its body twitch with constant muscle tremors.

"Are you all right?" Maybe she had a weakness to exploit. Maybe, he could dispose of her…_it_ as soon as they obtained the cloak.

"Adrenaline. I have him on a constant rush so I can protect myself from all of you possible predators." She laughed the words out of her mouth. "Think I'll go lie down now. It's been a long day coming back from the dead." She gave her guard a nod and walked towards the room prepared for her. "Wake me when we get to the planet."

If he thought he was confused, it did not compare to Dr. McKay's. His disbelief at Sheppard ordering him to a cell had been satisfying. Michael was not going to explain anything to him just yet. However, once they reached the planet, then his task would be revealed and his part played. Michael kept his entire deep-seated plans close. Not even his brethren knew his full goal. He did, however, have their trust.

Michael unleashed the other Wraith on that traitorous fool's world to hide his tracks and he let the Atlantians get away to further his plans in the future. She had her own plans coiled around his ship. He would have to check what happened in that lab. What had it been up to that the drone with it had not reported to him right away? He decided to immediately change its guard. There might be an allegiance issue. There was deviousness to this queen that his old Queen did not have. He would show her how betrayal was done.

Also, he was proud of his flagrant and deceptive fabrication. The Lanteans did not need to know that the bomb was destroyed by the bombardment. They could not take the chance that he could deliver on his threat. They could not afford anymore enemies added to their list. It had been a great diversion and tool.

He had played a game or two of poker during his incarceration in Atlantis. While they were trying so hard to convince him he was human, he had learned to bluff. He had a feeling that _it_ had learned a similar skill from Sheppard because _it_ was playing at its own game.

It, she, or him would just have to be kept closer.

-------------------

McKay stood next to him as they looked at the familiar central spire. But, this one was covered in vines and stood alone in a forest.

"You cull any of them and I'll make sure this ship goes down in a fireball. Threatening to kill me won't work either; I simply don't care." McKay did not look at him but frowned and blinked as the spire increased in size on the misty view screen.

"I take it the trickster is ready?" Sheppard's strangely softened voice asked, startling them both.

McKay frowned even harder at _it_ rather than answer _it_. The queen slipped smoothly onto the bridge and regally commanded attention from everyone there.

"He was just informing me of his terms," replied Michael. He had conveniently let her new guard wake it up instead of himself.

"All he needs to know is: do his task or die." It placed an arm around McKay and purred with his colleague's voice. "But then, I'm sure he'll try to bluster and bluff his way out of this."

McKay inhaled through his nose and tensed up even more. "Don't…care."

She made an "hmm" sound and smirked. "I doubt that. I know you trickster. He knows you," she said pointing to herself. "You're trying to figure a way out. Or at least, a way to destroy us."

It…she slithered around to the front of him and looked directly in McKay's eyes. "I'll even bet you're trying to save him. You just don't know what has happened or how to fix it."

McKay stuttered, gaped, and opened and closed his mouth. He started words and did not finish them. He fished for anything to say and fell short.

"You are looking at a dead man. A shell. A corpse." She delighted in his discomfort. She reveled in his despair. "There is no more Sheppard."

"There is only Zool," McKay finally said as all color drained from his muddy face.

To Michael's and McKay's surprise, she laughed.

Michael realized she laughed because she understood the joke. She had access to everything that Sheppard knew. However, Michael had to believe that it would not matter to the outcome of his ultimate goal.

"Exactly." She languidly walked around McKay. "You don't know what to do and it's frustrating. And just to add a little more salt in the wound, while you were asleep, you probably figured out what was happening. You might have even figured out how to reverse everything. Then again, maybe not."

_Oh, this one loves to play with her food, _Michael thought. She was very good at being Wraith. But, then again, so was he.

"Michael, just so you know, I am familiar enough with Lantean technology to observe this one and to make sure that he puts the component in correctly so he does not blow up the ship. And by default, I can initialize anything you need."

McKay wilted for a second only to return to his scowl. "I give you my word that I will not blow up this roach motel if she gets out of him."

"Or what?" she asked.

"Or kaboom," he answered.

She dragged her arm around him as she circled him. McKay knocked it away. In retaliation, she shoved him half way across the bridge until a console stopped him.

"Stop it!" Michael forcefully ordered. "You may be able to put a cloak in, but he's the only one who can remove one from their spacecraft."

McKay woozily stood up. "You still need me you unfulfilled _bug_." He held on to the console and donned the frown once again.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot. You're indispensable. Guess you can hang around a little longer." She walked to the door with her new guard. "Well, come on…" and then she lowered her voice, "Get a move on McKay!" The queen sounded just like Sheppard and an already heavy frown on McKay's face intensified into anger.

"You should know, I never respond well to orders." McKay took one step and then stopped. He spoke directly to Michael. "Let me warn them to stay in their homes and only send one or two escorts with us. Please. I don't want a chance for any of the locals getting hurt or **dead**."

"Very well, my coffers are full anyway," Michael hissed in false contentment. His goal, telescopically clear, lay out before him like a star field. He needed no more individuals for the holds. He needed no more complications.

As Dr. McKay contacted the leader of the village a short distance from the spire, Michael turned an appraising eye to Sheppard at the hatch. All they had to do was land and this little game would be over. His agreements dissolved. His obligations terminated. With the pleasure of their company over-extended, their time to leave drew near.

It was then that he decided neither would be leaving the atmosphere of this planet.

-------------------

Not a single spark of human life was drained as per Dr. McKay's request. Dr. McKay removed the cloak from the Jumper ("quaint name," she had commented) within fifteen of their minutes. The two of them had it installed in his cruiser in under an hour (again, their measurement, not his). Now, it was time to deliver on his promise. It was time to be free of this female of the species, permanently.

"Well done," he greeted the both of them as they stood next to the reconfigured console. "Time for you to be sent home, Dr. McKay, just as I promised. I said I would see what I could do about Col. Sheppard…" He pointedly stared at _it_. "I think I'll give Dr. Beckett that promised message now."

Michael stunned _it _before _it _could say a word because he hated _it _more than the Lanteans.

McKay stood next to the spliced together console, shaking. "Show me how it works," Michael commanded calmly. There was no need to rush. They were at the end of their partnership and formalities were all they had left.

McKay ran through the directions with a nervous voice and gave a practical demonstration as his eyes darted to the lump of human at the base of the console. The entire cruiser disappeared just as it should. The sentries outside confirmed it. As a result, Michael was very pleased and now he had everything he needed. There was only one, last task.

"Now, Dr. McKay," Michael began in a low growl. "Time for payment."

Michael slammed McKay into a vein riddled wall. "I have a message and three gifts for Dr. Beckett." Michael pressed his feeding hand onto McKay's chest. The nails sank into the human's flesh and the maw sliced through the shirt.

"Tell him…" Michael paused while deciding how best to express his message. "Tell him…"

He paused again because he doubted McKay could hear anything over the scream coming from the pathetic human's own mouth.

-------------------

_A/N: So, I have outlined the last chapter making the story unofficially complete. Now all there is to do is add, add, and add some more. Whew! Thanks once again for all the reviews! They are loved and cherished._

_And yes, I have left you with another delightful cliffhanger. Enjoy!_


	14. Is There Anyone Home?

_Warning: Language_

Chapter 14

Is There Anyone Home? 

"_Um…greetings friends, this is Eldred. Are you receiving me?" _was how Atlantis found out where Rodney and the Colonel were located.

Carson had just stepped onto the second tier of the Gate room when the chevrons engaged and the fantastic, blue, glowing pearls fluttered around the giant necklace. Eldred of the second Atlantis had called and requested assistance for Dr. McKay and Col. Sheppard. Carson was about to do an about face to get his gear, when Lorne told him to stay put. Lorne had said with unequivocal harshness that: "The Doc would have to step over his dead corpse to get to the Gate."

"You're not going Doc and that's final."

Carson chased after him like he was seven years old and wanted to go to that friend's house that his mum did not like.

"From his description of their conditions, they'll be needin' medical attention," he insisted, pleading his case.

"Oh, I agree Doc. Just not your medical attention. I'm sending corpsmen. If this is a trap and Michael is waiting on the other side…" Lorne kept talking as he walked from console to console.

Carson hung his head. "I understand." He did, he really did. He just didn't like it.

Lorne nodded to the sergeant at the Gate controls.

"Jumper 5, this is Flight, you have a go."

Jumper 5 lowered and launched itself through the puddle.

Jumper 3 soon followed after it gained clearance and an all clear from the other side of the puddle.

Eldred met them and led the team to a small hut that Ronon later described as a shed. Baldric waited for the group outside of it and pointed the way into the dark, little hovel. Ronon entered first and found McKay seated and shaking against one of the clapboard walls right inside the doorway. He aimed a hand-held stunner at an unconscious Sheppard who was lying on the floor opposite of him.

"He's still a she," McKay said with a voice just as shaky as his dirty hand.

Ronon said that he walked up to check Sheppard first. Finding a strong pulse, he turned around and immediately noticed the discoloration on McKay's shirt. Even the dim interior light could not hide something so prevalent.

Carson remembered being mesmerized by each little muscle in the Satedan's jaw line as he recounted his story. They rippled like liquid with tension and restrained anger.

As an aside to Carson after the official debrief, Capt. Schaub said he had never heard Ronon shout so desperately for anything as when he called for the medics. The captain was unnerved at how the perceived superman had faltered when faced with another teammate decorated with a feeding mark. It should have unnerved the captain because it did not often happen to Ronon.

Both wayward men were now safely tucked away in the infirmary. Col. Sheppard purposely remained in a state of sedation and Rodney rested comfortably. Ronon stalked the corridors outside and, occasionally, held up the walls inside keeping tabs on his team.

After Rodney was wheeled in, he held up a pouch. "I'm fucking Santa Claus, or the damned Wise Men. I bear gifts and a message of comfort and joy."

Carson called Lorne to join them as Elizabeth was wheeled over in a chair.

"First, the message." It was strange not hearing any arrogance from the man. And, it was sad. "This," he pointed to his chest, "is a message of just how restrained the Wraith can be. I quote directly, 'Tell Dr. Beckett and the others of my restraint,' end quote." The man still delivered on the condescension, though. "Guess I should add a 'Love, Michael' to the end of it."

Rodney had not been fed upon, just sliced into like the spiral cut, holiday ham. His chest had the distinctive handprint festooned in the middle of it-- a message with a bloody seal of approval on it.

_See, I don't have to act like Wraith, _the message basically said

Carson was not sure if that was better or worse to Ronon. He was sure it was better in many ways, but the violation was still inexcusable to Ronon's way of thinking. And rightly so.

"Now for the gifts: number one is Sheppard. She's still in there, but hey, we get the dubious honor of evicting her. All we have to do is serve her with electronic papers. Easy."

Rodney opened the flap on the little, tan, membrane bag with fumbling fingers.

"Number two is this little data module. Michael said even though our original deal…" Rodney started to laugh in the not-funniest sense of the word as he pulled a spherical blob from the little pouch.

"Take your time, Rodney," said Carson.

Rodney let the mirthless chuckle continue for a moment more before pressing on with his story.

"Even though our original deal was prematurely broken, the services rendered demanded payment. He said this is the information about the queens."

Lorne took the little, inorganic blob from him. "I'll make sure Dr. Zelenka gets this."

"Yes, yes because the third gift is what Radek's already working on. The transmitter and recall device to get these Goddamn things out of our Goddamn heads." With Michael's correspondence delivered, Rodney melted into the bed.

Michael, in his own perverse way, was living up to his end of the original deal. Why he had left anyone alive was up for a great deal of speculation. Why he surrendered the queen in Col. Sheppard's head…Carson's own head was feeling the need to explode trying to figure this all out.

"Anything else, Rodney?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Just that I had to stun him two times in addition to the one time Michael did. She's a persistent bitch and wouldn't take her beauty sleep as prescribed by Dr. Rodney. I also had to drag that bony, heavy ass to the town to get help. Bastard dropped us off just north of the middle of nowhere, so…my shoulder also hurts a little," he sheepishly mumbled.

"We'll take a good look at it while you under the scanner, Rodney," Carson gently stated.

Elizabeth placed a hand on McKay's arm. "Glad you're both back. I have to ask: they got a cloak from one of the remaining Jumpers, didn't they?"

Rodney nodded. "We couldn't very well store all of them here. She must have used Sheppard's knowledge to figure out where to go. Apparently, she knows something about cloaks because she practically hard wired it with a minimal assistance from yours truly. Sheppard couldn't have that detailed of knowledge. He likes to fly 'em, not fix 'em."

"The implants have similar technology. Guess she didn't want to let Michael know that though," said Carson.

The door to the infirmary opened and stopped the conversation. Zelenka walked across the room with an air of satisfaction that made Rodney sit up even farther in the bed.

"Oh, I like the look on your face, Radek," Rodney crooned as he nearly leaned all the way out of the bed trying to see around Elizabeth.

"We've found out how the device works. Since we are the broadcasting the signal to block anything we might have erringly transmitted, you shouldn't have felt any effects." He looked at them questioningly waiting to prove his statement right.

"No Radek, we didn't drop off during any conversations. At least, I don't think we did?" Rodney looked at each face in the room lingering on Elizabeth's who shook her head uncertainly.

"Nay, neither one have zoned out for lack of a more precise term," answered Carson secretly amused that falling asleep without warning had somehow become commonplace.

"Now, from what we know," Zelenka began, "The octopus in Colonel's head is modified. This may not have any effect on him what so ever. But, you can send short, deliberate messages to us. If it is all right with Dr. Beckett, I'd like to send you back to this state to find out if you can ascertain the Colonel's condition. However, I think it's wise to do this before the effects of the sedative wear off."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"She's still in control; right now she can't do anything with his body. Of course, the extent she controls device in head is pure speculation until we remove it. We already have some clues on how to handle freeing him from the implant because the both of you said "reset" when you awoke the last time."

Carson looked at the two of them. Elizabeth was already returning to her bed and Rodney was easing back into his. With the pair's obvious answer conveyed, who was Carson Beckett to stand in the way?

"Let's get them ready!" he called out to his staff.

Within minutes, the Colonel had two nurses stationed at his bedside. With the monitors and leads double checked, they waited for Carson's signal. The same went for Elizabeth and Rodney. Carson positioned himself at a station to keep track of all three.

Once everyone was ready, Carson acknowledged Dr. Zelenka and Dr. Zelenka reengaged the device. He turned to Dr. Haushaur, who had followed him into the infirmary, and motioned for her to cancel the electronic jamming.

-------------------

Elizabeth opened her eyes to Rodney standing across from her and John lying on the floor. The Queen, still looking like John and standing over him, rounded out the quartet.

Upon seeing them, Lucy furrowed his brows and smirked, "Well, my job is done. I was just waiting to see if you would come back and check on him." She knelt down and ran her hand across the top of John's head like he was her pet. "I relinquish my control of the trigger. He's all yours; I give him back."

The Queen let a cadaverous grin cross her copied face and dissolved into a swirling, cotton candy mist. However, John remained on the floor frozen in suspension, his status unchanged.

"_She's erasing herself," _Rodney observed over the singing children. "_But she didn't revive him."_

"_Rodney, when Dr. Zelenka shuts the transmitter off, John's not going to wake up. Even now…"_

"_Even now, his body's probably shutting down."_

"_Life support!" _Elizabeth shouted. "_Rodney you figured it out before, you knew with the reset. How do we…?"_

"_Your job is life support, mine is…mine is…we need to turn him back on…and that sounds so…well…"_

"_Rodney focus; we're running out of time! They'll be pulling us back soon!"_

With no easing into it, the falling sensation engulfed them both with John following suit.

"_Now or never, Dr. McKay!" _Elizabeth screamed.

But which phrase to use? She heard him think as the playground swirled away and she took up her requisite mantra to repeat over and over and over.

-------------------

High pitched, mechanical squealing and a shout from across the room welcomed her back from Never, Never Land. The nurse standing next to her shouted at the melee a few beds over.

"Life support!"

Carson nodded back and yelled, "Right!"

A nurse from Rodney's bed yelled, "Turned off!"

Carson looked at his staff and dourly said, "Complete intervention."

Dividers went up and equipment brought over. Her last glimpse of Beckett was of a nurse snapping gloves on his hands. More personnel poured behind the curtains and she just lay back in her bed waiting for Carson to come out. She would wait for him to walk out and say everything was fine and of course you can see him. She knew that was not going to happen from all of commotion behind the flimsy screen.

She spied both Teyla and Rodney trying to sit up farther in their respective beds to see what was going on behind the curtain. Rodney smacking at the nurse made his efforts seem a little more urgent. Teyla balancing on her good arm while it was shaking from the effort seemed superhuman. They knew what was happening, but they needed to see him-- just in case.

After the indeterminable eternity passed, the whir of machines and the beeps of other machines started to fill the infirmary's air. Snicks, and pumps, and bleeps told everyone not in the know that John Sheppard's body still had a chance.

Beckett called from behind the curtain for Dr. Zelenka. He edged his way over nervously looking at each of them as he walked. He looked a little green around the gills, but maintained an all business face as he stepped into the closed off area.

"We need to get this thing out so we can study how to…what did Rodney and Elizabeth say?"

"Reset," Zelenka said quietly.

"This is a temporary measure. He can be kept like this for a while, but this is not a preferred way of living. We need to figure this out as quickly as possible." Carson kept his voice low and respectful.

Zelenka remained behind the curtain for approximately ten minutes and exited with the transmitter. Still maintaining a greenish hue, he immediately looked at Rodney. "We successfully removed the implant. We need…"

"…ours to compare," Rodney finished.

Radek nodded as he spoke, "The implants are like those in the chair at Ixion, and so we have been scouring all information we downloaded from it. Your "reset" gave me idea. There was a "return to normal" type of command in computer, correct?"

Rodney sat up in the bed and his eyes brightened as if to match all the mechanical sounds coming from Sheppard's area. "Exactly, that's what I must've been thinking!" He shook his head in smug disbelief, "I amaze even myself sometimes."

Elizabeth had to agree. The entire team amazed her and it was most of the time. Teyla's arm was bound to her body to prevent movement and still she levered herself up on the other. Bandages peeked out from under Rodney's scrub shirt as he gave his input to Zelenka. He was already well into having Sheppard up and dancing to the oldies by the end of the day. And Ronon, whatever he had said to Carson had had a profound effect. There was a snap to the doctor's step that had been missing for far too long.

They had a one of a kind dynamic that meshed in some inexplicable way. Sheppard's team was like residents of the Island of Misfit Toys who had found a home. Each member was diverse and unique in some little way that made others underestimate their cohesion.

She was very glad they were on her side because heaven help anyone who stood against them.

-------------------

_A/N: Didn't leave a cliffhanger this time, hunh? OK , so maybe I sort of, kind of killed Shep again, but that's so easily fixed, right? Well, thanks go out to everyone who has reviewed and read. Totally appreciated! _

_Anyway, we're almost there folks! And for those of you in the U.S., Happy Thanksgiving!_


	15. Put the Lime in the Coconut

Chapter 15 

Put the Lime in the Coconut

Carson's head must have been having sympathy pains for the trio, because of the pulsating mass of organic and inorganic technology that had been in their heads. He squinted at the screen as Radek brought up all three of their implants' diagrams and rubbed his forehead methodically.

When the Colonel had started going south, he had Radek pull the others out of the program. He was not going to take a chance of losing the other two. They had been successful though and delivered messages that helped him to determine his course of action.

Then, after they had removed Sheppard's implant, the O.R. had been set up for Dr. Weir and Rodney. They had been wheeled back to the suites and prepped in under an hour. The removal had taken only minutes and Carson wished all his surgeries were so simple.

"This is Dr. Weir's," Radek said as he pointed to a wavy line on the monitor. "Is very nice rhythm to the brain waves, yes? This is Dr. McKay's; look same, just not as nice. However, this is Col. Sheppard's."

Carson let out a silent snort through his nose as he looked at the screen. Flat line. No wonderful little bumps and ridges flowing along to a rhythm, his was just a straight line doing what lines do, nothing.

"From what Inga and I have observed that wasn't always the case. Two patterns resided for a very long time. His device was a collection and storage vessel. Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay's devices weren't long term and only kept a few minutes of data. They are finished. They should be just fine now that octopus is safely stored in modified transmitter. Each retained the individual's last copy and once the implants were released the consciousness would pick up where it left off. Col. Sheppard's needs to be reactivated to previous wave activity. That is where chair from horrible Tara comes in. It has such a program and since both are Wraith in design and are parented from succubus as Rodney calls it, they should listen to each other." Radek took in a big breath because, for the last two minutes, he had not done so.

"How long for you to marry the programs?" Carson asked. His patient had all the mechanical time in the world; it was just wrong to see Sheppard so invasively involved.

"I'm not sure…Rodney's input would help. He has…and this is morbid…practical experience with both devices." Radek looked quickly at Carson and then back to the computer monitor. "Can he come to us?"

Carson hesitated. There was no reason Rodney could not. He was fine. He was sore; his muscles had a slight tremor; his chest was scabbing; and he still had mud encrusted in inconvenient areas; but he was fine.

"I'll send an orderly down with him. If he tires, make him stop."

"Once we finish, I'll call you."

Carson thanked him and left. He never thought he would be watching people reprogram a man's brain or re-uploading a man to his own body because a vindictive, vampire queen had shut him down. Hell, Carson never thought that people could be turned into bugs or vice versa, but that had happened as well. And kind of the reason he was having this utterly strange problem

Since she had flipped the off switch, when Sheppard's consciousness returned to the body, there was nothing to ignite the synapses into firing. The body had said, "Oh, well then, nitey, nite," and shut down. He was just glad that it had happened in the infirmary and not in the field.

When he returned to the infirmary, Ronon was sitting with Teyla and Rodney was transferring to a wheelchair.

"Thanks Carson. Of course, I would've made your life a living hell if you hadn't let me," Rodney said as he adjusted his bottom into the chair. "This time your chicken's feet need a little technological help from a Tandy and DOS. Which in computer terms, is about the same thing as rolling the bones and determining treatment that way." Rodney's eyes flashed to an empty bed area.

Sheppard was no longer in the infirmary's main ward. He had been moved to the observation suite. As much as his team wanted to be near him, they did not need to see him like that and Carson needed a secure area to monitor him. They saw a glimpse as they transferred him and it was distressful enough. Teyla and Elizabeth scowled and Rodney looked away. Ronon held up the wall in between their beds. Carson had to let Rodney help or Rodney would never forgive himself or Carson.

That was not necessarily true, but it would have been close.

He made his rounds as Rodney left. Elizabeth, just like Rodney, was fine, no ill effects. Teyla was mending well, with only a slight infection that had started. The antibiotics and analgesics were making quick work of it, though. Stackhouse and team had been released earlier with no ill effects at all. His luck was holding out.

He caught Ronon's eye as he checked Teyla and gave an appreciative nod. Maybe his mistakes had led to this, but he was in good company. Each had their role to play and now it was time to move on and try again. He would learn from this and continue to fight the good fight.

It was time for some self-forgiveness.

Ronon returned the nod and leaned the chair back onto two legs. His head rested against the wall and he closed his eyes to wait.

-------------------

"The way the device works is that-- it has a culling type beam that inserts the implant after a small incision is made. The implant does the rest of the work by attaching to the spinal column and inserting the ganglia into the appropriate brain tissue," Radek relayed to Carson.

"The implant in the transmitter/recall device is stored as data and not as a physical device. Just like humans in a dart," Rodney added.

Radek bobbed his head side to side impatiently waiting for Rodney to finish before he continued. "We have everything programmed on automatic. You just have to place device over upper back of Colonel and wa-la, reboot. We removed the queen's data and stored elsewhere. We'll study it later."

Carson held the transmitter in his hand. "I don't have to make the incision?"

"Yeah, you do, and it has to be like the ones we received when we were fitted with tracking devices." Rodney squirmed in his wheelchair while saying that. "Or the ones you made to remove our implants."

"Oh, that I fortunately know how to do all too well," replied Carson. He stepped over to the large viewing window and looked down at his last, remaining, critical patient. He couldn't hear the machines from up here, but he could see the monitors, and they said everything was fine.

When they moved the Colonel, they had to use a common hallway. He hated to have the man displayed for everyone to see, but it could not be helped. Prying eyes, pitying eyes made Carson very uncomfortable and, knowing John Sheppard as he did, he would have been too.

Rodney and Radek steered clear of the window.

"Well, my team is standing by. Let's bring him back, lads."

-------------------

The surgery was a success. Everything went as textbook as the Stargate program could allow. Their knowledge stretched and their skills increased as new arenas opened before them to expand their understanding of alien technologies. He wished he could feel prouder.

Carson readied himself as the last of the interventions was removed. It was all up to John Sheppard now. No drugs remained in his system. Nothing moved his blood or breathed for him. Nothing extra existed in his body that was not there originally. He was his own man for the first time in months. The brainwaves said so, but they had said that before, fooling them all.

Now, they were back to hurry up and wait.

"Col. Sheppard, wake up." Carson leaned over, but not too close. He had learned a few lessons in previous experiences with John Sheppard coming out of traumatic events. "Colonel, we need you to wake up."

What if the device was not programmed right? What if the queen had snuck into Sheppard's code?

Eyes opened half way and rolled back before straightening out and settling on Carson. Sheppard's mouth moved, but no sound came forth.

The lovely ice chips appeared as one of the nurses spooned one through his lips.

"What was that, Colonel?" Carson asked taking a chance and leaning over a little more.

Sheppard whispered again; this time just enough for Carson to hear, "What happened?"

Carson grimaced not wanting to answer, but the man deserved to know.

"The Wraith, Colonel."

Sheppard rolled away from Carson and mumbled, "Pains 'n d'ass," and promptly fell back asleep.

"Yes, they are that, Colonel," Carson quietly agreed with a relieved sigh.

-------------------

Carson watched as the others in the infirmary watched Sheppard. It was anticlimactic. He rolled over in his bed, mumbled a few words, and burrowed deep under the blankets. He looked like he was at summer camp and not recovering from brain death. Biro was having a field day with the all of the blood work and various other samples. His rebound was amazing and she delighted in the study. Radek's team and his team were all over the implants as well trying to discover anything and everything about them. They had months of research ahead of them.

Teyla lay in her bed directly across from Sheppard. Elizabeth was visiting with her and they both would stop talking anytime he made the slightest move. Carson did not envy the debriefing or scrutiny Sheppard was going to be under for the next week or so. Well-meaning friends and colleagues would hound him. The official report would probably astound him. His body's actions under the direction of the queen would upset him to a certain degree. John Sheppard was nothing, if not practical, and would take it all in, and store it for future use.

His bed creaked again as he shifted positions. The sheets drooped over the edge from under the blanket making him tug at the side of the sheet. The wires still monitoring him tangled in the linen as he unconsciously struggled to straighten it all out. Elizabeth smiled and went over to help only to stop halfway to the bed.

"Carson, I think he's awake," she called out softly.

She was right. Sheppard's eyes were open and he looked around slightly confused. He stopped their roving at Elizabeth.

"I hav…" Sheppard coughed and Elizabeth finished her journey to the other side of the room. She picked up the cup of water and gave it to him. Sheppard sat up, sipped, and finished his sentence, "I have a feeling we didn't get the fruit."

His eyes roamed the infirmary settling on Teyla with her bandaging. Teyla gave a snort and replied, "No Colonel, we didn't."

"I also have a feeling that I've missed something," he added as he pointedly looking between Teyla and Elizabeth.

"Just a little," Elizabeth answered. "We'll let you rest and fill you in when the circles under your eyes aren't quite that shade black."

Sheppard accepted the explanation, for the time being. "Is everyone all right?" he asked after he situated himself back into the bed and Elizabeth helped him to untangle the bed linens and wires.

"They are now," Elizabeth said with a smile. She looked over at Teyla who nodded in agreement.

He did a small double take and wanted to ask another question. He decided not to and let his eyes close one more time.

-------------------

Twenty four hours later, Lt. Col. John Sheppard, U.S.A.F. found out why the fruit mission was a bust. The infirmary became a makeshift conference room and the Colonel discovered why he could not remember anything past leaving Chieftain Morai's tent.

"Damn."

Carson noticed something registering on Dr. Weir's face. Something close to understanding of Sheppard's response, but it seemed to leave her as subtly as it had appeared.

"I have no memory of anything after we left the back of the tent. No, wait, we were in a dark hole or something and Teyla was…" He stopped and mock coughed into his hand. "Well, let's just say…"

"She was lying on top of you," Ronon said diabolically, yet, helpfully. "And I had McKay."

Rodney spewed coffee all over Sheppard's blanket. "Th…Th…That wasn't a dream…I mean nightmare?"

"No," replied Teyla kicking Ronon in the side of the leg. "Michael was torturing the Colonel and you, and the both of you were screaming. We were only trying to keep you from giving away our position."

"Oh," Rodney answered in a very, small voice. "Well, you did whatchya had to do…I guess."

"What he said," Sheppard added, studiously avoiding eye contact and dabbing a Kleenex at the saliva infused coffee on his blanket. "So…she pretty basically just used me-- to do what exactly? I mean besides Ginsu-ing Teyla."

"Live, love, hate again? Who knows?" Rodney shifted in his seat. "Tried to escape the doldrums of John Sheppard's life? Does it matter?"

"Yes," solemnly answered Zelenka. "As we've studied the little devices, there was one copy made of her imprint pattern. There were originally four implants made. One should have been left in the transmitter and according to the time code, a copy was downloaded into the fourth while you were on Michael's ship. Then it was removed. That's the bad news."

"Bad news?" Lorne asked. "Tell us there's good news and not worse."

Zelenka shook his head. "I'm sorry; I can't. It wasn't just her imprint that was copied. Col. Sheppard's was as well."

"Damn," Sheppard said again.

Carson watched as Sheppard slumped against the pillows as walls were erected with alacrity. The emotions were quickly stored away in the compartments of John Sheppard's mind, but the little things always gave him away: picking at the blanket, averting his eyes, and hiding anything other than aloofness. John Sheppard was a seasoned pro at walling himself into his own little prison.

However, this was an official meeting. Lorne, Zelenka and Elizabeth were present so the aloofness was understandable. Maybe later, when the meeting had ended and only his team remained, would the wall crumble. Carson hoped so.

After everyone left, Carson slipped over to check his patient one more time. He figured it was time to return a favor done for him.

"Colonel, as one friend to another, Ronon told me something that I thought didn't apply to me. I was wrong and feel as if I need to share." Carson steadied his gaze and pierced through Sheppard's lackadaisical stare. "You're not alone."

Carson finished up his examination and patted Sheppard's leg. If it was possible, Sheppard sank even farther into the bed.

He uttered only one word for the third time as Carson walked away--

"Damn."

--because old habits die hard.

-------------------

_A/N: Well, this is the official one more to go. Oh, I really appreciate all the reviews. Titan, I've killed him three times including this. You, oh evil one, shot him in the head. I haven't done that! You guys want a cliffy; that's a cliffy!_

_Fat, dumb and happy from the Thanksgiving feast. Now let the Christmas frenzy begin!_


	16. Come Down in Slow Motion

Chapter 16

Come Down in Slow Motion

He growled at the screen because _she _had tricked him. The lab, she had created a second transmitter and had placed herself in the drone guarding her. She was not an _it, _but a cunning adversary Then, she simply stole a dart (along with the drone) and flew away before they entered hyperspace. She had waited like the practical predator to leave the ship unnoticed and had used the Ring on the planet. Unfortunately, she took with her the knowledge of Michael's little colony, and that was inexcusable. Such a blunder was deadly for him and _his _kind.

He had proven himself a survivor, though, and his brethren agreed at the need for separation from the queens. Now, his brothers saw their self-serving behaviors and tendencies. It was an easy sell. Now, he was master of his own Cruiser. One day, it would be a Hive. Not in the traditional sense, of course.

On the bright side, she was also a tainted thing and an outcast because of her situation. She had also failed and that was a big sin in the collective's eyes. She too would have to lay low for awhile. Too bad, so sad-- and there was the taint poking out its head.

For now though, he would take what he could get and keep his eyes and ears open. He had a working cloak and time to plan his next moves. He would survive with his little colony intact and do whatever was necessary.

And, maybe, just maybe-- the queens would be dealt a mortal blow.

Then, it would be his turn to lead.

-------------------

Elizabeth stood behind Rodney and Radek as they clicked to another screen on the computer.

"We're sure Elizabeth, all simulations point to a sustained response when the implant came in contact with Wraith technology. A specific impulse and reaction occurred when the two mixed." Rodney handled the presentation of the results. She was sure it was because of his friendship with John.

"What kind of response or reaction?"

"The implant, anytime it was near anything Wraith, it would stimulate certain areas of his brain. This part is just a guess though…we think he experienced hallucinations or something similar for months after his time on the first Hive ship. We can't decipher all the lines of code and we may never want to for our emotional benefit, but he definitely had something going on since his return from Earth."

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her torso. "He lied about his progress with Kate and Dr. Meeks?"

"Yes, no, maybe? Our consensus was that he may have been too preoccupied to actually realize that something was wrong. He may have…"

Elizabeth interrupted unwrapping one arm and holding up her hand. "Enough Rodney. Don't try to make excuses. I think, we'll put only what we can verify in the report and save the rest until it too can be either verified or denied, and not just by John Sheppard."

"Dr. Weir," Radek cut in, "He might not have known or remembered anything about them."

"Yes, I know, but that doesn't seem likely." Elizabeth wrapped her arms tighter. "I'll talk to him, but not here and not now." It was too soon to confront him. As a leader, she had to know when to pick her fights and not just with whom.

However, Elizabeth had noted small differences in John's demeanor in the two weeks since the whole Michael thing. He seemed less moody, edgy, or maybe, he was just un-weighted. Whatever it was, it suited him, and she would give him time to fit into his own skin.

Radek and Rodney nodded their heads in acquiescence.

"There's something else we called you down here for." Rodney turned back around in his seat to face the computer once again. "It's about the information Michael gave us on the queens."

"Yes," said Radek, very excited. "It presents a whole new perspective and understanding of the Wraith."

"Well gentlemen, what did he give us?" _What did he give us that was worth such a price to him? _is what she meant to say.

"A nursery," Rodney smugly provided.

She blinked not comprehending for a moment. "What? Like with cribs and mobiles and changing tables?"

"Sort of," answered Radek. "Whether they use diapers or not is now a betting pool in labs, but we do know it's where all of the queens are incubated until they're ready to…"

"…take over their own Hive ship or become caretakers," Rodney finished smugly under Radek's mutinous glare.

She stepped back from them for a moment and pondered the information just dropped on her. Now it made sense why Michael had let them live. Now she knew why he handed over John with a queen still in his head. He truly hated the queens.

She laughed because Michael in his twisted way had told them, "I own you."

He had just presented them with a challenge and an apparent mission of his choosing. _You will do this because you owe me. _He probably figured, if they could kidnap him and could take down Hive ships as a hobby; this should be easy.

She also knew that they would most likely take him up on it.

-------------------

Tables lined the large, common area of the Athosian village. Electric lights were strung over the tables and powered by generators from the city. This celebration had become a collective effort.

Teyla stood at the head table, spread her arms, and with gladness in her heart, proclaimed, "As the Ancestors have always provided, let us share our bounty and eat." Her shoulder only twinged for a moment in consequence of the movement. She would live.

The process to reach this night had taken awhile, but here she stood straddling the two societies with the tip of one boot in the past and the tip of the other in the possible future. She understood as the Cornerstone communal meal began that her place was as a link, an ambassador of sorts. She was of two worlds, but her allegiance would always be what was best for the Athosian people. She was now a leader of both and had taken the mantel with resistance. Somehow, as fate usually delivers, what was best for the Athosians turned out to be what was best for the Atlantians. Not always, but mostly, and it was her vocation to decipher it.

She looked at Halling to her right and Dr. Weir on the other side of him, and then she turned her head to look at Seirka, an elder of the community, on her left and Col. Sheppard on the other side of her. While everyone else had sprinted to the Jumpers, she had to practically drag him kicking and screaming through the hallways of Atlantis to come to the feast.

"You threw a knife at me; you owe me; you're going," she demanded righteously.

Yeaaah," he admitted, "Buuut it wasn't meee!"

Teyla knew it had not been and it did not matter. She had learned how to get under his skin from Dr. McKay and decided to use that skill to her ultimate benefit. He owed her anyway.

They had discussed his attack of her at length the morning of his release from the infirmary. The downcast, sorrowful eyes, filled with remorse in failing to recognize his own problem, begged for forgiveness even though she felt that he needed none from her. _She _(Lucy) had done this to Teyla and him, not the other way around. He was going to apologize; she stopped him with a single finger to his lips.

"I understand," she said instead of him saying anything.

The smile reaching his eyes thanked her and, maybe, even allowed for him to forgive himself, just a little. Now, he could joke about it. Then, he needed her to say exactly that. Plus, he would owe her even more. She had learned a thing or two as leader of the Athosian people and from poker.

Regardless, she did not think that the Colonel needed to invoke such a nasal whine to answer, but he was trying his best to backpedal. She understood. He was on display here at the head table. It went against his nature, but her people needed their heroes, just for one night. She was not above using a guilt trip and Ronon's strength to push him into the loaded Jumper.

Rodney sat with Ronon at another table with Jinto and Wex. Rodney had complained about being at the children's table upon seeing the young men. Sheppard offered to change seats, but her glare sat the both of them back down in their correct seats with comments quashed. Finally, Carson and various Atlantis residents were seated amongst her people and others who had come to live on the mainland.

The Cornerstone would be living up to its true symbolism this evening. She had given her opening invocation reminding them of their past tribulations. It had reminded them of their reinvention of the Athosian people and how they dwelled on the positive instead of the devastation that had encircled them. They were living proof that perseverance accounted for something; hope would see them through the long night.

She had told them that even though traditions may be altered…

She had been unsuccessful in getting the guarve, but Atlantis had come to her assistance. Rodney had said that guarve resembled an Earth fruit called mango. It could also pass for guava. He then went off on a tangent about maybe it was a hybrid of the two as he led her to the kitchens. They had frozen bags of assorted fruits and recipes to go with them. She accepted them with the graciousness in which they were given.

She liked the hybrid theme and had said now was time to be malleable enough not to forget the ways of old, but not to fear the embrace of the new. The past teaches, the present reminds, and the future learns. As life often presents, they were doing all three.

Col. Sheppard had requested extra bags of fruit on the Daedalus' next run thinking that would be his only contribution. Her people had supplemented with other trading finds. It was a glorious communion.

The bonfires were lit so the stories of her people could be told. The people were eating and sharing the goodwill of many. The conversations were happy, creating joy in the air. She was surrounded by those that meant everything to her and it filled her with an all too fleeting peace.

Teyla felt complete for the first time in awhile.

-------------------

Elizabeth found him at a lone fire with Rodney and Ronon. As the stories wound down and the songs quieted, they chided one another quietly. She stood back, watched, and listened.

"Well Priscilla, Queen of the Wraith…I think, all we need is a giant, pink, high-heeled pump to place on top of the Jumper to complete your experience." Rodney nudged Sheppard with his shoulder and Ronon snickered quietly.

He obviously understood the reference. Elizabeth guessed Ronon had seen a few movies during their assorted down times and she would have loved to hear the explanation for that one upon his initial viewing.

"_Yes, Ronon, they're men, but…but…" _She stopped herself from going any farther and shook her head in amusement.

"McKay, I swear if you don't let that drop…"

"You'll what? Shoot me? Already allowed you to do that to my leg. Not my fault if an impenetrable barrier stopped it. No take backs!" Rodney sneered.

She really was working with misfits.

The settlement was quiet. The children were all in bed and the few people that remained were cleaning up the leftovers of merriment. She decided to step in and have her own conversation with her second.

"I have a bone to pick with you, Lieutenant Colonel," Elizabeth said quietly as she ambled towards the fire with her arms clasped behind her back.

He flinched and scrunched up his face in a got-caught-by-the-nuns-smoking-in-the-bathroom sort of way. "Just one?" John asked.

"There's time enough for all grievances to be aired, John. But, for right now, just one." She eased herself down next to him on the log serving as a bench. Ronon and Rodney scooted over to make room so she could sit next to him.

They made no move to leave, and John did not ask it of them, and neither did she.

"Shoot," he said after everyone was situated.

"You lied to us. Consciously or subconsciously, I don't know. But, you lied about how you were doing after your return from Earth."

He drew in a loud breath through his nose before answering, "I knew that I shouldn't still be seeing things, but there they were. I thought maybe it was just tricks by the Wraith or just left over Post Traumatic Stress or…hell, I don't have any excuse. I just couldn't get sidelined, not yet. I've got a job to do and I'm sure as hell gonna do it."

There is was in a nutshell-- his duty to Atlantis and them. She figured as much. Whatever had been tormenting him had not stopped him. It had not even really slowed him down…but still.

"John, it's time to pass a little group forgiveness around. It's time to release the blame and embrace the now." She turned to face his profile as he studied the firelight. "I haven't got a clue as to what happened in our heads when we were unconscious, but I think all three of us shared more than what was comfortable. John, since we got you back from Michael, you've changed. It's good. It's nice to see."

He squirmed next to her clearly uncomfortable. _Good, _she thought.

"It's time to reaffirm ourselves. Every one of us is here to do that job, John. It's time to share the responsibility." The IOA had tried to bully her into following their narrow-minded line, but they left her in charge. She was going to make the most of it before they discovered the error of their ways.

His head slowly turned to face her and she looked right into the shaded eyes. Out of the blue, Nipsy Russell assaulted her ears asking, "_So…you flew helicopters in Antarctica? Who were you before hand?"_

She, all of a sudden, did not need the answer. She looked at him and saw the charade falling from his very being. The phrase, hiding in plain sight, drifted into her mind-- once again, as if out of the blue. No one ever knows someone truly, but the earnest look in his face surprised her.

With that look, Nipsy took a guess at the man sitting on the log next to her.

In reply, the real John Sheppard figuratively stood up and all affectations fell away. The man who was a tactician, a goofball, her right arm, a frightened human being, and a deadly predator slithering in the tall grass and shaking his rattles in warning sat next to her, and she knew him as well as she ever had. She trusted the chameleon implicitly and needed nothing else.

Maybe, the firelight played tricks with her eyes, but she did not think so. Sentimentality overtook her stoic reasoning and she knew what she had to do.

Then, Elizabeth thought of her Aunt Sudie rooting from the sidelines with pom-poms because the old barracuda was a sucker for sentimentality. It was another surprising image striking her out of the blue and it only reinforced her next action.

As Teyla and Carson came over to join them, she held out her hand. "Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I have an opportunity that I'd like to tell you about. It's a trip into the unknown. There's danger, excitement, and a chance to meet new people. You might even die once or twice, but I'd think you'd enjoy it just the same. Interested?"

A few left over personnel and curious Athosians sauntered over their way, interested in hearing his answer to her invitation. Embers in the fire popped heightening the gathering silence. Warmth spread from the flames or so she thought. She realized the man sitting next to her was radiating a warmth all of his own.

Without hesitating, John Sheppard gave a lazy half-smile and firmly took her hand in his. The smile increased to include his eyes as he confidently replied, "Sure."

The End

-------------------

_A/N: Well, that's it. Yes, a little cheese on the end, but a little reaffirmation of the mission was warranted after all the crap they went through. Now the one thread I left dangling about the nursery will become a story when I can figure it out so don't you worry. I'm sure the queen will make another appearance…just got to figure that out as well. The next one will be just a good old fashioned adventure yarn…I think. Hope you enjoyed and felt I wrapped it up enough. Not too tight though, gotta leave room for more angst in the future. Don't' you worry, I'll break them again! _;)

_Thanks Autumn Leaves for allowing me to borrow the Priscilla reference. Also, Reyson, there are the pom-poms!_

_Thought I'd better give credit to the titles of the chapters. Now you too can have these songs rattle around in your head and never giving **you **a moment's peace. Just thought I'd share. _:)

Summary: Got a feelin' something ain't right. Clowns to the left, jokers to the right...Here I am stuck in the middle with you-- Title: Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel _( A/N: and yes, Michael Madsen dancing around his victim in Reservoir Dogs replays every time I hear this song.)_

Ch. 1: Beautiful Dreamer-- Title: Beautiful Dreamer by Stephen Foster

Ch. 2: Little Drop of Poison-- Title: Little Drop of Poison by Tom Waits

Ch. 3: Are We Ourselves-- Title: Are We Ourselves by the Fixx

Ch. 4: Dem Bones, Dem Bones Gonna Walk Aroun'-- Title: Dry Bones by Unknown

Ch. 5: Third Verse Same as First-- Title: Henry the VIII, I Am by Herman's Hermits _(A/N: I don't think it's actually in the song, but that's where the idea for the chapter name came from and since it was Michael's and Atlantis third meeting…)_

Ch. 6: Climbing Cathedral Mountains-- Title: Rocky Mountain High by John Denver

Ch. 7: God Save the Queen or (Potential H Bomb)-- Title: God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols

Ch. 8: When Logic and Proportion Have Fallen Sloppy Dead-- Title: White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane

Ch. 9: I've Given Up, Stop-- Title: Don't Come Around Here No More by Tom Petty

Ch. 10: Shock, Shock, Horror, Horror-- Title: Female of the Species by Space

Ch. 11: So Let It Go-- Title: Bang and Blame by R.E.M.

Ch. 12: No Time to Wallow in the Mire-- Title: Light My Fire by The Doors

Ch. 13: I Howl and I Whine-- Title: Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran (_A/N: Cuz they were my first fandom. Long live the '80's British invasion!)_

Ch. 14: Is There Anyone Home? -- Title: Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd

Ch. 15: Put the Lime in the Coconut-- Title: Put the Lime in the Coconut by Harry Nilsson

Ch. 16: Come Down in Slow Motion-- Title: Jump in Line (Shake, Shake Senora) by Harry Belafonte

_Have a safe and blessed Holiday Season!_


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